Football

Football is a sport that is fun for people of any age. Its enjoyable, competitive and a great way to take your mind of things.

It’s an amazing way to spend your weekend playing football games.

Get involved: Find local football camps in Oxfordshire. 

Getting started

There are a range of football clubs in Oxfordshire - here is a way to find some in your area.

Benefits of playing football

There are many benefits of playing football.

Did you know playing football:

• Lowers body fat
• Increases muscle strength
• Builds endurance and bone strength
• Releases endorphins which can improve your mood
• It can also boost self confidence and self-esteem

Watching football can also bring excitement when your favourite team wins a game.

There are many ways in which young people can gain access to playing football, like by joining a local club or just going to a close field or park and kicking a ball around with a few friends.

But what if:

• I’m not good enough! You never start off good at something, I know this because when I started to play football I wasn’t very good but I was able to improve and gain confidence really quickly because I had friends who helped me improve.
• I don’t know where to find a football team! Most areas in Oxford will have a local football team you just have to go out and ask people, these could be your friends or workers at local leisure centres.

Even if you don’t think you're good at football, you can still enjoy it and maybe even get good enough to the point where you want to play for a team.

Get into football

Overall, football brings a lot of benefits to a young person’s life, it can keep them from boredom over school holidays and it is almost everywhere to be found.

Football is a sport that everyone can enjoy! And just remember the more you play the better you will get.

Experience: In my experience with football, I am a goalkeeper for a team called Kidlington Youth Hawks, which consist of me and 16 other players and 3 managers. I started playing football at the age of 14, I wasn’t very good at the start but I improved and got better really quickly. It’s fun playing with Kidlington because I joined a new environment and made friends with a few of them quickly. Even though we didn’t win every game it was a fun experience and its made me a better player.

Levi - Work Experience Student.