Phoenix Patterson discusses motivation and overcoming challenges as a footballer player with Year 6 children. 

Fleetwood Town Player Phoenix Patterson visited Charles Saer Primary School this week to speak to the Year 6 children to inspire motivation and share the importance of resilience as they face their transition to secondary school. He participated in a question-and-answer session surrounding challenges he has experienced throughout his football career as part of the HeadStart Programme by Fleetwood Town Community Trust. 

The HeadStart Programme aims to deliver 1-2-1 support and class workshops to Year 6 children across Fleetwood to provide an early intervention and prevention service surrounding mental health. The aim being to focus on their transition to secondary school to ensure they have an awareness of self-management and coping strategies as they experience this new change. Thus, the children were lucky to speak with Phoenix Patterson, who opened up about his football career and the challenges he has had to overcome. The key message Phoenix delivered was that everyone is on a different path and to continue working for what you want by sticking to a routine and using the support around you when facing harder times. The children asked some important questions, which allowed Phoenix to share his favourite methods to help him stay focused and motivated on and off the pitch, which included meditating and reading.