5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

5 years today & AFC Lewisham has grown from just one team to nine teams (100+ players), this year. The following is an outline of our journey……so far!

Club history by Josephine Mayendesa (Secretary and Founder).

"I enjoy helping out with any task in the club".

Like most clubs, the initial impetus comes from a desire to get your own child playing for a team. Having looked around it didn't seem that there were many local options for my 14 year old.

The only option was to start something up ourselves, my eldest son being the U15 team coach. In our first season the team only won one league game throughout the season. The boys did not quit!

Within the second year we grew to three teams with 3 dedicated coaches. The U16s went on to have an exceptional season. They travelled to Spain and participated in a tournament and our team played in the curtain raiser match in front of 5,000 spectators. The team exceeded expectations as they reached the semi finals of the London Cup. Furthermore, the team finished the season on a high as Division B league runners up and were promoted to the A division.

We have a management team that is completely child centred. In other words every

decision we make starts with the question, "What's best for the children?" and then we do

that. We welcome children from all areas and are incredibly lucky with the support

we receive from parents. This ranges from taking on formal roles such as Parent Team Coaches, Club Welfare Officer and Fundraising Coordinators etc yearly events such as organising food for parties and fund raising events etc. For this, the club would like to say, Thank you!

And where do we keep getting the seemingly endless stream of parents willing to take on the mantel of Coach for all our new and existing teams? Well, only recently one of our U8 mums completed her Level Coaching course and wants to help out with the coaching as and when needed.

Promoting loyalty, commitment, discipline and a sense of 'team' amongst the players

is considered more important than any individual match result no matter how important

the game. All Managers & Coaches should lead by example!

The overwhelming priority is to safeguard those that put their trust in us to take all

reasonable care to protect our Players and those Adults working within the Club, whilst

striving to do all we can to promote development both as Footballers and individuals.

Yours in Sport

Josephine