Story added: 11th November 2025

Flown the Nest: Callum's story

Recently, we’ve been shining a spotlight on some of our Foundation success stories, celebrating the individual achievements and personal progression of both participants and staff members involved with our charity work. Whether it’s a milestone ticked off, or a pathway graduated, we think it’s important to recognise our community and the hard work and commitment applied.

Callum Simmons works at the Foundation as part of our Football team, spending a lot of time engaging with children on our various football pathways. However, not even too long ago, Callum was a student on our Football & Education college programme, unsure exactly where the course would take him.

Last month, we caught up with him to find out more about his journey into his current work at the Foundation.

Take us back to the very start – what was your first ever interaction with the Foundation?

CS: I’d say I was maybe seven or eight years old. The Foundation used to visit my primary school to deliver PE lessons, and I think I signed up for my first Soccer Schools provision through that.

At the time I wasn’t really big on playing football or even really sport, but I think the Soccer School was the catalyst that sort of got me into the game. I attended a few times after that and grew to love football, which eventually took me to the Player Development Centre here at the Foundation, and then to the team here on the Football & Education College programme.

Tell us a bit more about your journey with the Foundation on the Player Development Centre programme.

CS: At the time, being a part of the Player Development Centre was massive for me. It’s an invitational only programme, so I felt proud to have been noticed because of my footballing ability. It was a bit different to my Sunday training with my local club, with a deeper focus on progressing players in their individual positions on the pitch. We did lots of tours across the country and abroad, and I began to notice steep progression in my ability when playing.

The programme is also where I think I first noticed the different levels of coaching within the game itself, sparking an interest in me wanting to get involved in something similar in the future.

Focusing on the Football & Education College programme now – how did enrolling on the course help you to develop clearer career choices?

CS: I think that by the time I got to college age, I was pretty familiar with the Foundation and the work they did, so kind of knew a little about the Football & Education programme already.

By this point, I was pretty football-obsessed and knew that I wanted some sort of job role within the sport post-education. The course itself gave me two of the most enjoyable years of my life, where I really progressed my learnings both out on the pitch and in the classroom. I learnt more about the psychology behind sport, and how I could use my knowledge of the game to coach and mentor young people taking their first steps into grassroots football.

By the time I completed the course, I felt prepared to take my next steps into the sporting industry.

It’s amazing that the Football & Education programme set you up so perfectly for those important next career steps. What did you do next once the college course was complete?

CS: My tutor, Paul, first mentioned university to me about halfway through my second year, and to start with I wasn’t so sure. University hadn’t really been something I’d thought too much about before, but after a bit of research I found a Sports Development degree at the University of East Anglia and got myself a place.

I graduated not too long ago, and again, absolutely loved my time there. It opened up even more doorways into the industry, such as an opportunity to do a placement at the Norwich City Academy doing performance analysis, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Now I’m back where it all started at the Foundation, so a proper full circle moment for me!

You’ve made it clear just how much you love football but tell us more about your journey within the sport itself. Who have you played for and who do you play for now?

 CS: I spent most of my youth football career playing for my local side in Long Stratton and have lots of good memories of my journey into grassroots football there. Obviously, when I was college age, I was playing both with the Foundation and for my Sunday teams, which was really good as it definitely built-up match fitness and sharpness!

I’ve been playing as a goalkeeper for a few years now, and I feel like I’ve really made the position my own. When I was a kid, I definitely preferred playing outfield, but it’s a whole different game from between the sticks and I really enjoy that.

I currently play for Framlingham Town, playing in games for both the first team and the Under-23’s. I would say Framlingham are a semi-professional team, so to be playing regular football at a relatively high level for grassroots is testament to the hard work and high-quality coaching I received as a child.

Moving back towards your role here at the Foundation – what does your day-to-day job consist of? How long have you been doing it for?

 CS: I’m one of four or five Football Development Officers here at the Foundation, which basically sees me coach children of all ages and abilities at venues across Norfolk and beyond. I really enjoy it, as it gives me the chance to give some of my knowledge of the game to young people taking their first few steps into grassroots football.

I first started out my Foundation employment as a Community Coach, which was relatively simple work, helping out a few evening sessions each week to slowly ease me into coaching. As my confidence grew, I decided I wanted to progress the efficiency of my coaching and did a bit of part-time work under the professional coaches at Norwich City Academy, something that really helped me.

I’ve been in my current role about four months now, and it’s absolutely flown by. I enjoy the challenge the job presents me, but giving back to young people who are now embarking on a similar journey to what I did is what makes the role really worthwhile.

If you could sum up in a quote exactly how it feels to have completed this journey from a participant through to a staff member with the Foundation, what would you say?

 CS: It’s a real feeling of satisfaction – I always strived to have some sort of role within football, and looking at where I am now, I couldn’t be happier.

I think the Football & Education College programme is what I’d highlight as the pivotal step in my career – it opened my eyes up to opportunities in sport that weren’t just playing-based.

And what does the Foundation itself mean to you? You’ve spent a lot of your life involved with our programmes in one way or another!

CS: I owe a lot to the Foundation. I’ve been involved with the programmes from the age of six or seven and have always felt at home here. The organisation has always offered me a progression pathway, which I think can sometimes be hard to find when looking for a job in the modern age.

I think we’re lucky to have such a well-organised community charity here in Norfolk, where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together and be united through the power of sport.

 Finally – if you were to give a message to young people that may be facing tough decisions regarding career choices, what would you say?

 CS: I would probably say something along the lines of ‘work hard and the opportunities will come.’ I think it’s really easy to get caught up in there here and now and worry that any decisions made now will affect your future career permanently. However, my opinion is that you won’t know until you try, so getting yourself as much experience as possible in an industry that you’re passionate about will stand you in good stead for a job you enjoy and are passionate about further down the line.

To find out more about our Football & Education programme, click here.