THIS week has been Children’s Mental Health Week and pupils from a primary school in Middlesbrough were delighted when Liam Roberts popped in to show his support in a lesson set up by MFC Foundation as part of our Primary Stars programme.
The Boro goalkeeper visited St. Joseph’s Primary to take part in a question and answer session before involving himself in the practical side of their lessons.
The theme throughout was resilience, a big topic in primary schools currently.
The pupils asked Liam about obstacles he has faced in his life and his career and how he overcame them. At their age, not getting their own way, or losing in games and sport, can be more difficult to accept for some than others.
Liam was asked how he learned to deal with his emotions if he made a mistake in a game in front of thousands of people, or was dropped. How do you manage your emotions walking on to the pitch in a big game, was another question linking to mental health. Can you control your emotions and keep your feet on the ground when things are going well?
Another asked how he adapted to change, another emotion easier for some than others.
“We work in this school every week and we could tell today what a difference Liam made to the youngsters,” said Natalie Guy, the Foundation’s Schools Sports Coordinator. “From talking about mental resilience, then demonstrating in a fun way, Liam enthralled the young people and the school and ourselves we’re all so grateful that he took the time to engage the way he did.”
