St Mary’s Students Volunteer for Chelsea FC Youth Competition

Students at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham recently gave up their bank holiday weekend to volunteer with budding young footballers at the Chelsea Football Club’s ‘Asian Star’ competition. The annual Asian Star competition is designed to boost Asian participation in football at all levels of the game. Plays take part in a range of fitness tests and football matches, competing for the chance to take part in a week-long trial for Chelsea’s world-famous academy. This is the fifth year running that Physical and Sport Education students at St Mary’s have helped at the event. During the day they not only oversaw some of the technical and physical tests, but also acted as team managers for a number of the matches. St Mary’s Programme Director Michael Ayres commented, “We have been working with the club on this project for the last five years. It is always a privilege to get asked to provide volunteers for such a prestigious event. Chelsea FC should be applauded for developing and sustaining such a ground-breaking project that encourages young Asian boys to participate in football.” St Mary’s alumnus Dean Steninger, who graduated in 2010 after studying Sport and Physical Education with Sport Science, started volunteering with Chelsea three years ago and was leading the 2013 project. Dean said, “The students were extremely professional and represented St Mary’s fantastically.”