'The football team I started after my son's death changes lives'

Parents say the team has given children a massive confidence boost and helped them make friends.

The image shows a lively group of young football players standing together on an indoor pitch. They are raising their arms in the air in a celebratory pose. Several of the players are wearing yellow training bibs with the word “FORZA” printed on them, while others are dressed in black football kits. One player in orange goalkeeper gear stands to the right. A yellow football is being held up by someone near the centre of the group. The background reveals the artificial turf surface, surrounding advertising boards, and the indoor sports arena with its high roof and crowd‑style wall graphics.
The team was set up by Ryan Davison following the death of his son Isaac [BBC]

A father who set up a football team for visually impaired children said it has "completely changed their lives".

Ryan Davison said he was searching for a "new purpose" after his son Isaac died aged four months in 2023, and he started the sessions at A1 Football Factory in Pontefract.

The team, which is supported by Wakefield Sight Aid, has since grown to 15 players, aged eight to 15, with Davison set to also offer pan-disability football from April.

He said: "I just want it to be full of kids of every ability who come down here, feel safe and just express themselves. I do feel I made my little boy proud by doing that."

Currently, the team trains every Sunday and it includes children who struggle with their peripheral vision or spatial awareness.

To help, the are equipped with bibs, different coloured balls and use verbal cues.

Davison said the children did not want to be treated differently, adding: "They just want to play football in a safe place."

Davison stands on an indoor football pitch. He is wearing a black padded jacket and a black baseball cap worn backwards. The background features a goalpost and several people on the pitch, some wearing dark sportswear and others in bright training bibs. A yellow football is visible on the artificial turf.
Ryan Davison set the team up just over a year ago [BBC]

He explained that a lack of opportunities in the local area inspired him to start the team when a father approached him to say that his visually impaired son had been turned away from playing grassroots football.

Davison's team not only brings children together to stay active, but has also helped their confidence grow.

"It has completely changed their lives," he said.

"The parents come up to us with tears in their eyes saying that they'll do PE now, they've made friends. It's an unbelievable thing that's happening down here."

The image shows a group of children and a coach gathered on an indoor football pitch. Most of the children are wearing black sports kits, while several are wearing bright yellow training bibs. The coach appears to be giving instructions or speaking to the group as they stand in a loose circle near the centre of the pitch. One child in orange goalkeeper attire stands slightly behind the group. Another child, dressed in black, stands off to the left near the edge of the pitch.
Parents said the team had given their children a confidence boost [BBC]

Samantha Hayward-Bannister said her daughter did not normally "stick anything out" but absolutely loved the team.

"She's gone from being really unconfident to saying that her disability is now a superpower," she said.

"She's gone from not knowing anyone that - as she said - is like herself, to meeting all these kids - it just means so much."

Lyndsey Gomersall said her child would not have been able to play football anywhere else.

"I'm so proud of all of them, not just my child, all of them," she said.

"They are brilliant."

Hayward-Bannister stands on an indoor football pitch. She is wearing a khaki‑green coat with a fur‑trimmed hood and a light pink top underneath. Her hair is long, straight, and dark with a reddish tint. Behind her, the artificial turf stretches across the facility, and advertising boards line the walls.
Samantha Hayward-Bannister said her daughter's confidence had improved significantly [BBC]

Hollie, 13, said she felt well supported in her team and has a strong sense of belonging.

"I actually kind of felt like I was alone, like I was the only one," she said.

"I thought if I joined this team, then I could actually find people like me."

Buddy, 13, said since joining the group Sundays have become the highlight of his week.

"It only comes once a week but when it comes, it's really good and I enjoy it loads," he said.

Buddy stands on an indoor football pitch. He is wearing a black sports-style top with a zip at the collar. The background features artificial turf, along with several people engaged in football activity. Some of them are dressed in bright training bibs, and one person appears to be standing near the centre of the pitch. Advertising boards and a goalpost are visible in the distance, giving the scene the atmosphere of an indoor training facility or sports centre.
Buddy said Sundays were now the highlight of his week [BBC]

Hayley Grocock, the chief executive of Wakefield District Sight Aid, said the progress the children had made was "unreal".

"I've known some of these kids for quite a long time and to see how they have grown and how they have developed because they've been in an environment where they've been enabled and empowered to be the best that they can be, it's absolutely phenomenal," she said.

"The bonds that have been created are unlike anything I've ever seen - they are ride-or-die 100% there for each other and it's the most beautiful thing."

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Category: General Sports