The Moors 4’s is about providing a service to the vulnerable, ensuring a better quality of life for others and helping people like… Moors’ disability group.
The Solihull Moors Foundation are forever promoting inclusion and no more is this apparent than with the commitment they show to accommodating disability football.
Every Friday night, players of all abilities and ages are welcomed to take part in sessions hosted by Moors disability coaches such as Kevin Redmond.
Kevin has worked in football all his life but having spent time working in the conventional side of the game, he has now turned his attention to helping less able-bodied players.
He admits that he now receives far greater joy watching his disability sides step onto the pitch, taking great pride in the courage they show when up against able-bodied sides.
“I personally get a lot more satisfaction out of coaching disability football than I would doing the same in mainstream football,” he said.
“Not only that but the guys that I am training, find it far more rewarding. It’s incredible to have our players wanting to compete on the same level as able bodied people.
“Especially for the CP (Cerebral Palsy) lads, who have been competing against able bodied teams and that’s what I love to see.
“They go there, they’re not afraid and they give it a go. Tackling adversity head on, shaking their fist at it and having the attitude of done that, what next!?"
Helping people achieve is a message woven into the make-up of Moors and Kevin challenges his players to never let anything get in the way of them realising their goals.
“Moors are different in that they provide these guys a stage to go and shine on,” he said. “The club isn’t solely focused on finding the next best player.
“Here, it really is the taking part that counts. If they can get involved, whether it’s play a pass, score a goal, make a save, then they have achieved something.
“On the coaching side of things, every week I set them a challenge and at the beginning, they are adamant that they can’t do it, wearing a big sad face.
“But by the end of the week, they are all smiling again, they have all tried it and ready for me to set them the next one. So they have definitely bought into the programme.”
Enjoyment and inclusion are two vital areas of the Moors disability programme. Kevin ensures that both feature heavily in the sessions that he holds.
“We now have the ability counts group, guys coming in from different areas, never played with each other before and have bonded really well,” he said.
“They all share a common interest in football, nobody every talks about their disabilities or anything like that.
“Even when one of the CP guys turns round and says I’ve got a weak foot, I shun the idea and tell them to use it.
“That’s the idea that we push, nobody is disadvantaged as far as I am concerned, they are all competing at the same level.”
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