Coaching & Education against Racism in the schools

The Show Racism the Red Card Coaching & Education programmes is going down a treat with schools in the Dublin area.  Thanks to support from the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, we have some of the top stars of the Airtricity League delivering coaching activities from the Show Racism the Red Card education pack. Recently we have been to Colaiste Setanta Pobail, Ongar, Dublin 15.  Currently there are 150 pupils attend the school in a temporary building, as a massive new building to cater for up to 1100 is being built next to the current school.Deputy Principal Mark Dowling wrote in to say: ‘Thank you so much for facilitating the workshop and coaching sessions at Coláiste Pobail Setanta yesterday.  It was an excellent day and the students really enjoyed the experience’.Other recent joint workshops were held at St Raphael’s National School in Ballyfermot, Blakestown Community School and Sandford Park High school. Forthcoming schools to participate include St Patrick’s National School, Stamullen Co Meath, Oatlands College in Mount Merrion and more are enquiring all the time. Among the players who have facilitated included Shamrock Rovers Ollie Cahill, Don Cowan and Gary Twigg, Bohemians Owen Heary and Jason Mc Guinness, St Patrick’s Athletic Stuart Byrne, Ireland Youth International and Longford Town’s David Freeman and Shelbourne’s Mark Leech.The coaching session involves a number of activities from the Show Racism the Red Card Education Pack which serve to emphasise the positive values of sport such as teamwork and communication as well as learning about issues such as unfairness and discrimination. The classroom session involves a Questions & Answers session which aims to establish a definition of racism.  We then show the DVD and follow this up with a Quiz, which serves to reinforce the message of the DVD.Teacher Niamh Mc Gettrick wrote in to tell us about the impact of the programme in St Raphael’s Ballyfermot: ‘A very big thanks from me and the girls to yourself, David and Stuart…the girls had a great time and are already haunting me to organise something like it again soon!!! (so if there’s any other sessions up for grabs, put us on the list please!) They have loved everything we’ve done so far with the anti-racism program and can’t wait for the trip to UCD to the presentation day. Think there’ll be a few sad faces when this whole program finishes up!’