Two students from Richard Huish College have celebrated winning an International Football tournament held in Copenhagen.
Huish students Casey Young, a former pupil of Wadham School, and Callum Parsons, a former pupil of Bishop Fox’s School, who are both diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy along with their teammates, play for the Bristol City Cerebral Palsy FC. The team was selected to represent England in the competition held in Copenhagen over the Summer after reaching the finals of the Cerebral Palsy International Football Festival where they defeated the Irish team in a highly competitive 2-0 victory!
The Bristol City CP FC was formed by parents of children with CP to provide them with an opportunity to compete on a level playing field and a chance to meet others with the condition to build a healthy support community. Casey described being with the team; “a lot of the players, because of their CP, struggled with confidence but being around others with a similar condition makes you feel like you don’t have CP”, with Callum adding, “It’s a like a family bond, the team is run by parents and coaches who have children with CP so if you’re having a day where you’re struggling, it’s understood and fully supported”.
An example of the internal support of the team was provided by Casey who helped cover travel and accommodation costs for getting to Copenhagen for other parents and players by taking to the skies for a sponsored skydive where he raised over £2,400.
Training takes place every Saturday in Bristol on a 4G pitch owned by Imperial Sports and features 3 age bracketed teams starting from age 6, up to 18. Older players like Callum and Casey also have Coaching qualifications and assist the younger players and help inspire them. The team are supported by the England FA and Bristol City FC, who have funded the team kit.
If you would like to learn more about the Bristol City CP team and how you can get involved, visit www.bccpfootball.co.uk.
