Emily Wooton has been transformed from spectator to team manager at Asfordby Amateurs Ladies' and Girls' Football Club in Leicestershire, thanks to the enjoyment volunteering has provided.

"My daughter went to a football tournament with her new school and decided she wanted to take it up a bit more. So I got dragged along to a local girls football team. She started training with them and she volunteered me as a manager," recalls Emily.

"Then she decided she didn’t want to be in the team but wanted to continue with the training – so I carried on being manager, joined a ladies football team and I’m now in the middle of doing my level one coaching certificate".

Emily readily confesses that sport was not on her own agenda as a child.

"‘When I was a kid, we didn’t have the girls football teams around for me to join in so I probably would have done more if there was more around".

Now though, her outlook on sport has changed.

"I’d like to improve myself and teach the kids more skills and I want my kids to be involved more in sport".

After being widowed at an early age, it’s an obvious understatement to say that there are things Emily would change if she could begin her life again. But finding sport is something about which she has no regrets.

"It’s filled quite an empty hole really. The kids love it – they are quite happy to come along and join in and they enjoy the social life as much as I do".

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