Whether it’s volunteering at the Academy on a Tuesday night, running sports clubs in the local schools or working towards his Foundation Coaching degree, Adam Tasker will always be seen doing his bit for the community and making a difference to the people around him.
Local boy Adam Tasker is one of the foundation’s fantastic casual sports and education coaches and is also currently in his first year studying our Foundation degree in football coaching in partnership with the University of South Wales.
Adam spent two years on the u19 shadow scholarship course ran in partnership with Franklin College, before realising he wanted to get more involved in the coaching aspect of the industry but stay within the foundation, which is when he realized the Foundation Coaching degree was the perfect route for him to take going forward.
Adam’s degree allows him to get stuck in with football coaching in the local community, whether that be at a local primary school or a free football session at one of the youth centres in the area.
On a Tuesday night, you’ll find Adam volunteering with the club’s Academy, which is where he aspires to be in years to come as a coach, but his newest role that he’s taken up, is as a mentor at the newly launched girls Emerging Talent Centre.
“It’s great for the local area, as we’ve never had one,” said Adam about the launch of the girls ETC in the town. “It provides all the girls in the local area with an opportunity to play on a more regular basis and get that elite-level coaching.”
“140 girls turned up for the recruitment event and it was absolute chaos but it just goes to show the demand and love for the women’s game in the local area.
“For younger girls it provides a real pathway and a possible route into the women’s first team. Hayley Cox and Paul Shaw (Women’s first team coaching staff) are playing a huge part in helping to give these girls the best coaching possible and making dreams come true.”
The real-world experience has provided Adam with a platform to showcase his love for coaching in the community and next month he’s embarking on his UEFA-C coaching badge journey.
One of the most enjoyable parts of Adam’s volunteering is the involvement he has with the local schools. Whether it’s breakfast clubs, lunchtimes or afterschool sessions, you can always count on Adam to make a difference and put a smile on a young boy or girl’s face.
From a young age, Adam has always had a deep love for football and aspired to originally become a P.E teacher; so, involvement in primary schools holds a special place in his heart.
On the difference he’s making in the local community, Adam said, “At the end of the day it’s all about making sure the kids are having fun and enjoying what they’re doing. It’s heartwarming to see that something so small could make their day.”
“It makes me feel proud everyday knowing that even if it’s something small, I’m changing the way a child feels that day and making them smile, and that’s’ so important to me.
“It makes you proud everyday to be a part of this community. There’s a togetherness around the town and everyone ‘wears the badge’ around the town.”
“To me, the word community means everyone working together. We work in the community to provide opportunities and making sure the children that don’t normally get a chance to play football have as much of an opportunity as anyone else around them.”
