Wearmouth excited to be involved as Community Foundation Officer | Aidan Wearmouth FULL INTERVIEW

Academy players and supporters alike will be more than aware of the unmistakeable Kingston-upon-Hull drawl of Aidan Wearmouth, a familiar face around the ground since the Academy’s inception. Now progressing into a full-time position as Community Foundation Officer, I sat down for a chat to get some insight into what he hopes to bring to the role.

TM: If we could start off by talking about your footballing background, things that have led up to this moment, what should we know?

AW: I always played football as a child – once I was old enough, I started playing Saturday football in the Humber Premier League. I moved from Humberside over to Sheffield to study sports coaching at university and have worked with multiple private football academies during my time studying. One such place was Worksop Town Academy, which initially was supposed to be my university placement, and has now led me to full-time work.

TM: You have been in the Community Foundation Officer role for a few months now, what have some of the challenges been adapting to this new role? 

AW: The job has been challenging but very rewarding so far. The main challenge I faced was looking into everything surrounding the academy behind the scenes, I’ve always been used to turning up, coaching various age groups, and then going home, whereas now I need to take care of lots of things behind the scenes on top of that.

TM: With new challenges in mind, what are your personal feelings on the Academy's ambitions moving into the new season?

AW: I’m very excited for all of our teams to get involved with the Junior Premier League. I believe it will bring a new dimension to what has already been a successful and beneficial games programme within the academy. As for my role in supporting those JPL teams, I aim to bring as many capable players into each and every age group via all of our community and school programmes.

TM: As one of the longest-serving members of the Academy staff, it's fair to say you've held your fair share of roles in the organisation - what have been some highlights for you so far, and how has this versatility prepared you for the Community Foundation Officer role?

AW: One of the main highlights from my time at Worksop has been coaching multiple different age groups. Gaining this experience has been highly beneficial for my coaching as it means I am capable and confident in delivering sessions for players of all ages. Another highlight of my time at Worksop is overseeing the Tiger Tots programme, watching it grow from the very start into what is now a successful course of engaging, fun-filled sessions. 

TM: And finally, as always - What are you excited about that's coming up soon, and what are you excited about that's maybe in the more distant future, for yourself and for the club?

AW: At the minute I’m looking forward to getting into the schools we are partnered with and coaching some completely new children with the aim of building them into either Academy players or members of our Player Development Pathway courses, and finally, as I mentioned previously, I can’t wait to see how our teams involved with the Junior Premier League get on.

Wearmouth will continue in his coaching roles in tandem with the new position, and has already been hard at work organising football festivals to prepare Academy players for the new season. To see more about our Player Development Pathway, click here.