Whilst Stenhousemuir’s Women’s Team applied themselves to a pre-season fitness campaign under a reasonably lively Scottish sun, Warriors striker Cerys Corey was undertaking another challenge with an altogether different level of heat to deal with.

Swapping Larbert for Zambia, the twenty-year-old Warriors number 18 participated in the Volunteer Zambia project over the summer; organised by The Wallace Group – a group of seven universities, Cerys’ trip was fundraised through a group from The University of Edinburgh.

“The project is actually about getting young people involved in sport in general to help guide them away from making poorer life choices” explains Cerys, “I was, of course, focused on the football aspects, and we supported the Zambian coaches in delivering life skills to the kids via a holistic approach to learning.”

“Using football as a vessel the coaches were able to pass down the learning knowledge which the kids can apply to both current and later life. There were specific sessions for female participants to make them aware of their bodies and remind them of cleanliness, menstrual cycle etc.”

“There was also a big focus on identifying future coaches. For example, there was a young boy at one of my own placement sites who always showed respect to the coaches but was also confident in correcting the other kids when they did not show respect. We knew that he had qualities of being a coach and that they could be built up over time, so we made him a ‘peer leader’. This is someone who can help organise parts of the session, warmups, activities and even drills. Throughout our time we saw him begin to plan and deliver some of the football sessions.”

“We also delivered coaching workshops to those peer leaders who were ready to become a coach but also older individuals who wanted to gain their coaching qualification. The workshops we delivered were pitched to provide them with their entry qualification for coaching. The course learning covered the fundamentals of football, the footballing basics, and a holistic approach to coaching in general.”

With distance running and sprints the order of the day at Ochilview, Cerys’ day looked a little different. Operating from hub sites in the poorer areas of the city of Lusaka, Cerys delivered six sessions a week as part of a coaching team, enjoying an opportunity to bond with fellow coaches and explore local markets during down time.

“If I had to pick the best part out of a wonderful experience, I’d have to say it was the time spent with the Zambian coaches and kids. They were genuinely so kind and caring, and their constant smiles were contagious!” laughs Cerys.
“Then there was a our ‘British night’ when the Zambian coaches and peer leaders were invited to the volunteer base to experience traditional British foods, entertainment and some party & ceilidh dancing”

Whilst Cerys’ own performance in dancing challenges will remain firmly enshrined over 7,000 miles away, the demands of a fresh season in the Barclays Scottish Women’s Championship was never too far from Cerys’ thoughts.

“I knew I was missing pre-season” she explains. “So, a main priority for me was to at least maintain a base level of fitness so I wouldn’t be too far behind on my return. I would go running most mornings; a hilly and hot loop that was about 3.5km in distance, and I was able to access gym facilities as well for the duration. In the evening’s we were able to get the balls out for ourselves and complete a bit of technical work.”

“As soon as I got back it was straight into games, so there was a little bit of hard work needed to get back up to speed but for the summer experience it was more than worth it!”

Back in amongst the goals already this campaign, Cerys and her Warriors teammates are back in league action on Sunday as they visit Greenock Morton.