Nigel goes back to School
On the 15th September 2008 Nigel Worthington and Alfie Wylie came to the Girls Model for a questions and answers session. Nigel Worthington is the well known manager of the Northern Ireland football team. He was born and raised in Ballymena with his older brother who encouraged his interest in football. It was not until he played for the Ballymena under 15s‘ football club that he discovered his passion for football. Alfie Wylie is the head of the Women‘s Football Association (NIWFA) and also works with the Irish Football Association (IFA). He mainly works with women however; he has experience training with men‘s teams such as Linfield Football club.
The session was open to girls from all years; it was attended by the school football team and other girls with an interest in sports. The questions to both were mainly about how they had got into football and what qualifications they needed to get there. They were asked how men and women‘s football compared; both said that there was little difference between them.
As a member of the school football team I gained a lot from this experience. We had the opportunity to ask what would be required to successfully get into the sports industry. As a result I now have a better knowledge and understanding of jobs related to sports. I also learnt more about women‘s football, and how it is becoming increasingly popular and better recognised. At the end of the session both Nigel and Alfie made time to sign autographs for everyone. I found the experience to be extremely rewarding and informative.
