Sporting chance for kids

Alison, you have made quite a name for yourself in the city with your love of a certain sport, haven't you? Were you always interested in sport?

Yep, always. I love sport and from as far back as I can remember I have always loved sport.

What about when you were in primary school - were you always winning races in sports day and things like that?

Oh yes.

Can you remember what your first win was?

I don't. I think it was more when I went to High School, when I went to Clondermot...you were put into a 'house team', and there was Mourne, Finn, Derg and Strule. They were rivers.

Right.

I was in Derg, and in my class there were a lot of sporty fellas and girls, you know?

Right, so you were in with the right crowd?

Aye, I was.

Was it very competitive?

When it came to the house sports, like running, and scoring points, then at the end of the year it was a case of 'Who is going to lift the cup?' basically.

Did you ever cheat?

Nope.

Seriously.

No. You couldn't cheat. You couldn't (laughing). It was like your races: The high jump, the long jump, cross country, things like that. It was always good craic.

You are smiling now so you are making me wonder whether there was any skulduggery!

I don't think there was because the teachers did the scoring.

They were strict, were they?

They kept the scores and did all the scoring, so yeah.

Did 'Derg House' ever win?

When I was Captain, myself and Kyle Quigley - now he was very into sport - he was Captain of the boys in Derg when I was Captain of the girls, we won in fifth year, so I was quite happy with that.

You went out on a high...

We did. We did.

Did you prefer sports to academics when you were in school?

I did. Definitely.

Do you think it is something you would like to go back to do over again?

Well...what I'm doing now I enjoy.

That's right, I understand you are an IFA coach, is that right? What is the IFA - you can tell I'm not sporty!

Well, it's the Irish Football Association. I've only got my Level 1, you can progress to your C, then B then your A licence, which is what the likes of Institute coaches need whenever they are coaching or training the first teams.

So it's football that you coach?

Yeah. Football.

Did you play football at school too?

I loved football growing up, but there was never any girls' football.

Did the boys not let you play?

Oh aye. You would have always seen me in kicking the ball with the ball with the boys, but other than that it wasn't until my brother, who is involved with Institute Football Club as well, he asked me would I be interested in doing a Level 1. I asked him what would I know about football, and he said 'You love football', you know? So I do because I would follow and watch football, I would have always followed Liverpool. So I went and did the course and that's how I ended up coaching at Level 1.

How long was the course?

I was over four weeks, but it was on a Saturday and a Sunday, and there was about 20 of us, I think.

So you have Level 1 and you have Level 2 disability as well, don't you?

I did that course in June past, and about two years ago I did the Level 1. The Level 1 is only three hours, but the Level 2 involved two days in Belfast and it was through Kevin Doherty who is the grass roots development officer for Derry City Council.

What's the importance of sport to people with disabilities?

Well, I go to Templemore on a Thursday for an hour to work with kids from Belmont School, and it is unbelievable how they can play football.

Really?

Yeah. They...some of them are actually better than able-bodied. Some of the girls that are there are very, very good. They are just the exact same as the kids that I would take through Institute. There is no difference and they really enjoy it and really put their hearts into it. I'm working with Downs Syndrome kids as well and really look forward to that too.

Football isn't your only love, as I see you were an avid hockey player when you were in school.

Aye, I loved hockey. I was captain of the school team once or twice. I played for Londonderry Ladies but they are no longer. They are the Priorians now, but I loved it.

It can be quite a tough game though can't it. It can be quite vicious.

When you are young you have no fear. Now I don't think I could play. I could watch it...

What was the height of your success at hockey before you stopped playing?

Probably being picked for the Ulster Under-19. But I didn't go.

You did go to the trials?

I went to the trials but there was Clondermot and Foyle College, I went up with them and I was the only one picked from Clondermot at the time, and I got picked but didn't go.

Were you intimidated about playing?

Not by the Foyle ones no, but there were a lot of grammar school ones and I just at the time didn't think that I could measure up.

You didn't think you could cut mustard against them.

Hmmm, but when I look back now I actually was quite good and I could kick myself...

That's always the way when you are young. Do you think it is a sport you could go back to?

There is a senior ladies team, but I am enjoying the football. I have made a lot of friends through football, particularly through Institute, which is like a big family. I am enjoying that. My daughter is playing football now, too.

What age is she?

She's 13. Jodi.

Is she passionate about the game in her own right?

She loves sport, but she has been disco dancing for six years.

So she's quite athletic too, then?

Well, she wanted to do football a while back and I told her she could either do one or the other because she had to give 100 per cent. If you divide yourself you are never committed. Then she gave up the dancing, and she is a goalie at the minute and she is in training.

Goalie? To me that's the worst position of the lot!

Hmmm. She's tall.

Football-wise what are your aims for the future?

The age group I do is four to seven or eight and I enjoy that because I have nothing to prove when it comes to a match. As the kids move up it gets more competitive, but where I'm at it is basically about having fun through sport and getting the kids to listen to small commands so that they can progress to the next level.

Do you think you have got the best group as far as training children goes?

I think so.