Castle in the Spotlight

3. A COMMUNITY-centred club…

Castle Juniors believes that the well-being of children from a physical and mental perspective is paramount, a value carried by the club and the coaches in whatever they do. The value of sport in promoting these ideals, and the knock-on effects of these on academic performance and daily habits, is recognised by the club and right at the forefront from the moment a player joins.

  This is why the club is so involved in schools, helping the young people of Bangor stay active from an early age and advertise the policies of the club to the wider community. Schoolchildren engage in high-quality courses designed to enhance them in school and in life, partaking in fun exercises that allow their personalities to prevail, all the while teaching them skills that can be applied in their learning and improve their chances in education – skills which can also be carried on as they progress into work.

  They get to experience first-hand the coaching they can expect to receive should they join Castle Juniors at a later stage, how they will be supported and developed in an environment that lets them be themselves with the helping hand of the various coaches and volunteers within the setup. What’s more, with the ability to play with their friends by their side, the chance is offered to a wide range of children, meaning the possibilities are high that somebody they know will be there too, giving them that extra sense of comfort that they can make new friends with their existing ones still supporting.

  This is made even less daunting by the fact that this offers the opportunity for children to get to know some of the club’s trainee coaches, working both ways as it broadens their horizons while allowing the children to take things from a different perspective.

  Some transferable skills they stand to learn include communication and decision-making, skills that can be honed through life and eventually expressed in the workplace. Meanwhile, they keep physically fit with fun games to play, not just being confined to the classroom, but keeping them engaged and entertained in a way that has a proven positive effect on their performance in school.

  Castle Juniors have also helped re-shape the football tournaments in primary schools, with the introduction of the Schools Cup, revolutionising sport among schools in the local area. The satisfaction of winning a trophy at the end of it is matched by the fact that they do so in a sound footballing environment, with serious officiating and genuine competition, plus the number of teams participating has grown with the club’s involvement too. This once again raises the reputability of the club in the eyes of players and parents alike, promoting this place as a pathway to senior football with professional guidance, not to mention allowing them to try their talents consistently as they work their way up the ladder.

  The club is committed to honing the talent of the local area, a practice best conducted when first meeting the youngsters and understanding how to help develop them as players and people. This stretches into school competitions, conducted in a way which keeps them in that winning mindset, with eyes on the prize, while satisfying them ever more following positive performances as the standard around them grows and grows. All the same, as part of propelling the person, life skills are taught in the form of communication and concentration among others, keeping them fit in a fun way while teaching new techniques which will bolster them habitually from an academic perspective.

  Castle Juniors is proud to help these youngsters realise the values they represent, allowing them to maximise their abilities with ample freedom and fun while also enabling them to reach and increasingly heighten their potential.