Hey, we are Grace, Joel, and Jasmine and we have just completed our two years of being Team Leaders for the Youth Sport Trust. Come with us as we look back on our last two years as we prepare to move on to other Youth Leadership opportunities. We will share with you some of our favourite memories, key learnings and top tips for any future Team Leaders in the making.

Hello, my name is Joel. I am 22 from Chesterfield and am currently studying in my final year at Loughborough University. Since being a Team Leader, I have learnt how important it is to encourage others to simply just take part in sports and try something new. My favourite part about the last two years has been being able to meet lots of different people who are all passionate about helping young people access sport. I have enjoyed meeting all the young people at each event and hearing about their stories and what they want to do in sport. If I was to give one piece of advice it would be to really make the most of the opportunity. Throw yourself into as many opportunities as possible and really look to get the most out them. It’s worth it to meet so many amazing young people and helps you build a network.

Hey, I’m Grace, I’m 20 years old, from Hertford, and am currently living in Putney for University. I am studying Sports Science and Exercise at the University of Roehampton and am a part time nanny. For me, being a Team Leader has taught me how to manage working with different people at the same time. This has showed me how to be adaptable and flexible to be able to cater for different needs. My favourite thing about being a Team Leader would have to volunteering at the School Games National Finals and how many friends you can make from all over the UK. If I were to give out one piece of advice, it would be to say yes to everything, even if you are nervous about it.

Hey, I’m Jas and for me one of my favourite memories from being a Team leader had to be the training weekend where we all got to meet the first years and catch up with the second years. The atmosphere and different skill sets that everyone had made me really look forward to future events. Through my team leader journey, I’ve definitely developed myself. Mostly through my ability to adapt and overcome any challenges that might come along with the events and I’m grateful that the training and support from the YST staff helped my confidence in this process. The one piece of advice would be to just say yes. Say yes to any opportunity that you get given no matter if you feel like you might not be ready for it, really push your comfort zone and it will work out!