NEC United is a success
Last Wednesday afternoon the participants of the NEC United project met again however there were mixed emotions in the press room of the Goffert Stadium, where the project was started eleven months earlier. On the one hand, everyone was incredibly proud of the programme but on the other, there was great disappointment amongst the participants that the project has ended. However, due to the presence of all parents, the proud feeling won over in the end.
For a year the participants received training from a real NEC trainer. In a safe environment, NEC, Bindkracht 10 and the municipality of Nijmegen have provided the participants with tools to develop in various areas through football training. For example, participant Jordan says: “I learned to make contact with other children easily during NEC United” and participant Zoë: “Thanks to the training sessions, I can concentrate much better during lessons at school.”
The parents also played an important role during NEC United. It wasn’t only the children who signed a contract but the parents also made a commitment by signing a contract. This partly contributed to all the parents being hugely involved during training and the entire project. Suus, the mother of participant Nanna, has really seen the group grow together: “It was not just a successful experience for the children. Because the children felt safe, she dared to open themselves up, allowing everyone to develop in his or her own way. ”
Many activities have been organized outside of the training sessions, e.g. there was a press conference with a resident of Lent and NEC player Ole Romeny, the participants cooked for their parents, they raised money for a good cause, they went walking with the elderly and were able to go onto the field with the players for a NEC first team match.
Luc te Riele, manager of NEC Social, is eagerly hoping for a continuation of the project. “We are in discussions with the parties involved and would very much like to follow up on NEC United. It was a fantastic year for the children where they really went through a development. This tastes like more.”
NEC United was a collaboration between NEC, Bindkracht10 and the municipality of Nijmegen.
