We recently had the pleasure of welcoming and introducing Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and NFL Legend, J.J Watt and Chicago Red Stars player Kealia Watt to our work at Burnley FC in the Community.
The visit was a fantastic opportunity which allowed us to share our story with J.J. and Kealia, as well as being able to hear about their incredible achievements and the things they have been able to accomplish throughout their careers and personal lives.
As part of the visit, Burnley FC in the Community’s Foodbank Manager showed the couple around the facility and explained the impact of the foodbank in our local community.
We then invited the couple for a tour of our leisure facility, The Leisure Box. Head of Football Development, Chris Andrews, accompanied them around the facility and told us “It was a pleasure to have J.J. and Kealia visit our community projects and facilities. They both showed a genuine interest in our community work and in particular, the growth and development of female football within Burnley and the surrounding areas”.
“We are committed to raising participation levels and development opportunities within female football and it was great to share our vision with Kealia, especially as she has represented the United States soccer team at international level”.
We also caught up with our Helen Gurman who said, “J.J. is a fantastic ambassador for the positive impact that sport can have on young people allowing them to learn the character traits of accountability, teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and perseverance”.
“He was really keen to learn about the role of Burnley FC in the Community and see the impact that the charity has on the lives of the local community and the way we use the power of the badge to change lives”.
We would like to say a big thank you to J.J. and Kealia for taking the time to visit our community facilities and learn about our programmes, it was a pleasure to get you involved!
