A FOOTBALL team who rallied together following their team player’s illness has been praised by their manager.
The Redfearns under nine Blues, based in Monk Bretton, came together to support their fellow team player Riley Jack Hall, who suffered a stroke in March 2017 aged six.
Following Riley’s illness and forced time out of football, the group of youngsters went above and beyond to support and encourage him.
When Riley was finally able to play again, the team understood when he made mistakes and gave him the support and time to rebuild his confidence.
Their maturity throughout Riley’s journey touched Riley’s mum, Rebecca Hall, who has nominated the team for a Young Champions award for team of the year.
She said: “They may not win every single match they play, but what they do is play as a team. They understand that everyone has a bad day and make mistakes but they never blame each other or fall out, they just ‘high five’ and train harder.
“At an age when winning seems to be what most of their peers focus on, this group of boys, led by their amazing coaches Chris Chapman and Byron Heckler, are learning to focus on developing as individuals and as a team.
“Their mission is always to do their very best and never give up despite a score line and this grit and determination is why a number of these youngsters have been invited to train with Barnsley FC development.
“They also like to acknowledge and show their support to other causes and never miss the opportunity to do so, examples including wearing their poppies on remembrance day and odd socks for down syndrome awareness week.”
The team’s coach, Chris Chapman said: “I have coached these lads from the beginning and from the start I have always taught them that nothing is given to them on a plate. When they face an issue, I given them the tools to sort it out but how they distribute this down to them.
“I believe this has played a big part in how mature the boys have been in understanding Riley’s condition and how welcoming they have been since he has returned.
“The team was fairly small when the Redfearns began and the boys treat each other like brothers. Riley acted as a mini assistant coach when he was unable to play and when he was given the ok, the boys were very careful to ensure that Riley didn’t get tackled or that the ball hit his head. They have been very understanding towards his condition and they have never ring fenced him.
“They have helped him retrain and learn his ball control and they always support him during matches. They have always clubbed together which has been a privilege to watch.”
