Participants of Reds in the Community’s weekly mental health group were treated to a professional coaching session delivered by Barnsley Football Club Academy Coaches Rob Watson and Keith Briggs as part of the EFL Day of Action 2020.

Every football league club and their Community Trust across the country used the day to celebrate the positive impact football has in changing people’s lives and showcased their work by tackling some of society’s biggest issues.

It was no different here at Oakwell, as Reds in the Community and Barnsley Football Club put on an afternoon of fun football-related activities for 14 participants of the weekly mental health group.

The participants arrived at 1pm where they were introduced to Academy Coaches Rob and Keith, who led the one-hour session to commemorate the occasion.

It was then time for the football to begin, as the coaching duo put the participants through their paces with a small-sided game.

The two-teams were then given a half-time pep talk by their respective managers, who gave an in-depth analysis of the strategies and tactics from the first-half.

The game was then concluded, as victory went the way of the non-bibs managed by Keith.

After that, the two sides then took part in a penalty shoot-out, before the session ended with a game of crossbar challenge.

Academy Lead Foundation Phase Coach, Rob, is no stranger to giving back to the local community having previously worked for and alongside RitC in the past.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week in 2019, he led a similar session at Oakwell.

Rob reflected on the importance of events such as the EFL Day of Action and highlighted the importance of work delivered by Reds in the Community.

He said: “Days like this are great. The lads get to experience what it is like to work with two professional coaches from the academy and we also get to see what the community is doing and the projects they deliver.

“The community reaches out to a lot of people and demographics and if the academy can be a part of that, it is very positive for the area.

“Everybody enjoyed the session. They all took on board what we were saying. They got to work with two different coaches, but today was about fun and enjoyment and they definitely got that.”