Hartlepool United Community Sports Foundation coach Craig Linsel has been recognised as Community Captain as part of the Premier League's More Than A Game campaign.
The Premier League’s Community Captain initiative awards individuals who have made a difference with their hard work in the local area.
Craig has been named as the Club's Community Captain due to his involvement with a number of projects. They include the Premier League Primary Stars programme, Premier League Kicks, Fit Fans, our suicide prevention programme - Play for Life, and our Twinning Project currently being delivered in prisons around the North East.
Craig joined Hartlepool United Community Sports Foundation nine years ago as an apprentice sports coach. Since walking through the doors as a nervous teenager with a love of football, he has grown his role beyond the initial parameters of solely delivering football sessions and in doing so, has been an inspiration to beneficiaries of all ages and abilities.
Despite displaying an initial shyness when he started his HUCSF career, he has grown into a confident young adult, with his unwavering and positive approach impacting many in the town and surrounding areas.
Craig has a prominent role in delivering the Premier League Primary Stars programme, a position he was initially wary of due to his own experiences within the classroom as a pupil. He was encouraged by his manager and colleagues to overcome his fears and get involved in delivering more educational sessions on this project. And he did just that.
As his confidence grew, he added further strings to his bow by undertaking academic training. Craig is dyslexic and has always faced problems involving written work. When an opportunity arose to undertake the Level 3 qualification in PE and Schools Sports, he overcame his barriers and signed up to the course.
He has since taken his learning up another level by recently completing a Level 4 Higher Level Teaching Assistant qualification. Given his initial resistance to academic studies, this is a wonderful achievement and a testament to his positive response to the support offered by his line manager and the Premier League.
Craig continues to use his own journey as an example of overcoming challenges, being more ambitious and raising his own expectations to inspire others. He is seen as an integral part of the Community Foundation team and an undoubted community leader.
Congratulations on becoming a Community Captain, Craig!
