Students Experience Life as a Footballer at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium
Friday, 11th October 2024
Following the successful trip to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium last year, we wanted to reward more of our amazing students to experience ‘The Day in the Life of a Footballer’. We challenged all of our students to at the beginning of the year to have perfect attendance, demonstrate exceptional behaviour, go above and beyond with their learning and commit to their personal development outside of the classroom through extra-curricular provision. Those selected really rose to the challenge and truly embody the ‘We are Harper’ Values.
On the day, students were treated like VIP’s. They were invited to follow the daily life of a first-team player from the moment they wake up on match day through to going home after a game. Trained tour guides gave the inside knowledge on preparation, fitness, diet, performance analysis, training and warm-up, wellness, and what players are mentally going through before the whistle.
To begin the tour, our students were taken to the away team dressing rooms. Upon entry, they were basking in the opportunity to sit in the very seats where some of the world’s greatest footballers had previously sat and prepared to take to the pitch. Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho to name a few. Here, students were taught about the psychology of the away team dressing room and the tactics used to negatively impact the preparation of the opposition. This is something our students learned to be standard practice across all stadia for teams to attempt to get the upper hand. From here, students were then given the contrast of the home changing rooms were current greats of the game such as Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland prepare to play at the highest level every week. Students were taught the subtleties of routine and comforts to maximise pre game performance.
From the changing rooms to the pitch. Our students truly were the heroes of the hour as they lined up outside of the changing rooms ready to walk down the tunnel. The sound of the crowd was roaring as our students walked out into the open arena to drink in the magnitude and scale of the 50,000+ seater stadium. Our students had the privilege to walk were only few have and see the pitch side positions great managers such as Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson have worked out their tactics to overcome the opposition. To finish the tour, students walked around the stadium, learning about the scale of the task and preparation such a stadium continually goes through to maximise its atmosphere before taking pictures with the Premier League trophy. They created memories that will last with them for a lifetime.
It is also lovely to note the gratitude was not one way. Tour guides on the day quoted ‘The students were exemplary, brilliant behaviour and really enthusiastic’. A really nice way for those selected students to represent our school community to the wider public.