7:49PM, Oct 05, 2009
Ian Wright helps a group of young offenders set up their own football academy.
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Official figures show that almost 75 per cent of young offenders aged 18 to 24, in England and Wales, reoffend in the 24-month period following their release from prison. Now, former Arsenal and England football star Ian Wright embarks on a very personal mission to break this cycle by using sport to help deter youths from a life of crime. Once imprisoned early in life himself, Ian was taught a stark lesson: “When I was young, I had two cars but no tax or insurance. When they [the authorities] caught up with me I went to Chelmsford prison for 14 days. The sound of those prison doors closing and the nutters inside taught me that I couldn’t live my life like that.”
This six-part series will document what life is like at Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset and follow Ian’s work to help the inmates create their own football academy to play in, instilling them with a sense of pride, achievement and motivating them towards a better future. They will also be taught essential life skills and given positive role models as an example of how their futures can be changed for the better.
Football trials, open to all inmates, will select 24 players who will make up the first wave of the academy. No easy ride, those chosen will be expected to get up earlier than other inmates and to work hard at their training, or face exclusion from the squad. Discipline and team work are essential and a failure to adhere to the strict squad rules will result in the inmates losing the chance to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Each week, Ian will assess the squad and implement new training routines, culminating in an exhibition match at the end of the series. Fitting in with the institution’s exercise schedule, a team of trainers, physios and sports psychologists will work alongside the prison’s own physical education team. As well as nurturing football talents, the series will also show how organisation, communication, trust and team work play a vital part in the rehabilitation and social integration of young offenders on their release.
