Arsenal Gap Year Student Story

My name is Jack Ironside and I undertook a gap year with Arsenal Football Club.

I decided to undertake the placement when I finished studying Football Studies at Southampton Solent University. The scheme is open to young people over 17 years old. The scheme hones many skills needed throughout your career whether you work in the sports industry or not.

I was undecided after graduating what I wanted to do with my degree so saw this as a great opportunity to get an insight into how a top European club functions.

The story begins in September 2007, 14 gap year participants were assembled at Arsenal's north London HQ and I remember being told to make the most of the experience since we would have a memorable year which we would look back upon for years to come. It was true. The experience and knowledge gained over the year have been invaluable.

The annual Arsenal Gap Year programme is divided into three parts:

Stage 1 is based in London and involves working and coaching in the local community
Stage 2 is an optional coaching placement abroad
Stage 3 is to coach part-time within the community department at the football club

The first stage of the programme was spent with Arsenal's community coaches. My weeks were filled with staff training, courses such as first aid, child protection, refereeing and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. As my coaching ability and confidence progressed, I was able to put what I had learnt in my training sessions to good use as I took football coaching sessions in the local area. I also volunteered with an Arsenal education initiative, the Double Club, which uses Arsenal resources and coaching to help children improve in a variety of curriculum subjects. This improved my organisation skills, behaviour management and confidence within a group.

For stage 2 Arsenal placed me in Indonesia which is a country I knew very little about and I really didn't know what to expect from the experience.

We learned lots and not only about football and coaching. Indonesia has many public holidays so on long weekends we had opportunities to visit the areas surrounding Jakarta. It was amazing to see the mountains of Puncak and the beaches at Pulau Seribu and it was a welcome break from the congested city life of Jakarta. There is plenty to see from visiting the many museums to landmarks such as the Monument where you can get a view of the whole city.

Indonesian and English culture is very different. Living in London you lead a fast paced life in Jakarta the lifestyle is far more laid back.

Everything, from the traffic to the lifestyle pace is slow. When travelling around the city you need to plan your day carefully as it can take an hour to travel short distances. The weather is unpredictable and extreme. The humidity is constantly high and this made it uncomfortable when coaching. Most sessions were towards the end of the day though when the heat is less intense so coaching sessions were less demanding.

We were lucky enough to coach in many different environments, from small villages in Bogor to International schools in Jakarta. This consistent change in coaching environments meant that we had to adapt.

In Jakarta the kids we coached were mainly from either international or local schools of a high standard. The children had a good understanding of English. However it was good to learn their language and use it when possible to ensure all participants understood what was being asked of them. Outside Jakarta, our Indonesian language skills were needed more as the kids spoke very little English.

Typically the schools in the villages were less sophisticated than those in Jakarta and the facilities were of a lower standard - another challenge.

The classes consisted of less children -some with as little as eight pupils-the atmosphere was laid back. Children would start lessons by singing songs and this was a great way for them to improve their language skills. The teachers contributed lots of positive energy which created a fantastic environment. The number of students in each class meant that they all knew each other well and there never seemed to be bullying, they showed amazing respect and discipline for children so young.

We witnessed football at all levels. It was interesting drawing comparisons with the UK. At a professional level the game is well below the standard of the Premier League but at grassroots there are some talented players. Coaching education has not been implemented well and often there appears to be fans coaching the children's teams without qualifications. There is also a lack of a league or competition in which the children can play against each regularly.

However, it was great to see Soccer Schools Indonesia grow - some of the ideas they have were impressive. They were working on producing a league towards the end of our stay, if Indonesian football is to continue to develop, there needs to be more of these initiatives.

Incidentally, I played for a team in the Jakarta which was made of players from across the continents. They were great guys and we were lucky enough to participate in a tournament in Hong Kong!

For part 3 I returned to Arsenal to continue coaching. Since returning I've also been able to lead Double Club lessons in Islington Green Secondary School with another Gap Year student which I'm really enjoying. I'm also putting my experience gained in Indonesia to use in coaching at the local schools and helping out at Arsenal in its busy community department. I've learned so much from the Arsenal Programme. I hope that the experience and knowledge gained will stand me in good stead for my future career.