Jack Tindal – Best Young Volunteer
Everyone at Arbroath FC would like to congratulate 17 year old Jack Tindal who has won the Best Young Volunteer Award in the 2020 Scottish FA Grassroots Awards presented by McDonald’s and the Sunday Mail.
This is Jack’s impressive story, as told by his Mum and Dad, Darren and Lisa Tindal.
Jack turned 17 in October 2020, he plays football with Ferry Athletic 2003s and won player of the year last season. Since the age of 13 Jack has been volunteering at various schools, football and community clubs in the area. Since starting, Jack has accumulated over 600 hours volunteering with regards to his Saltire Award.
Jack has just completed 5th year and left Arbroath High School in the summer with 3 Highers and is currently attending D&A college to complete his HNC in Sports Coaching and Development. On a Friday when he finishes, he attends Friockheim Primary school where his Mother teaches and helps in various classes and subjects, before coaching both the school Girls and Boys football teams.
Recently due to not having a Santa for the nursery and P1 Christmas party, he volunteered to play Santa so the children weren’t disappointed. Not only does he coach Friockheim Primary Schools boys and girl’s teams, but he takes them to participate in the local tournaments, where he helps set up the events, referees, liaises with other coaches and active school coordinator for the enjoyment and development of the young people.
Jack achieved a Gold Award at his High school in recognition of his effort and commitment to working with young people. Since Jack turned 16, obtained his PVG, his online child wellbeing course and attended SFA coaching 1.1 and 1.2 certificates in both the children’s and youth/ adult pathways and will be on his 1.3 in January.
I am proud to say that Jack started coaching with me in 2016 with his little brother Alex’s team at Ferry Athletic, it soon became obvious that Jack has a passion and a natural talent for working with and coaching young people. 2 years ago, Alex moved to our local team Arbroath Community Sports Club development squad.
Within weeks the coach left and Jack and I were approached to see if we would help with the development squad. We decided to go ahead and take on the development squad coaching over 65 boys across 5 different age groups, the 2010s, 2011s, 2012s, 2013s and 2014s. After 9 months we managed to recruit some other coaches to allow us to work with the 2010s and the 2011s.
As we couldn’t recruit a coach for the 2010s, Jack was desperate to take the team on and take the boys in to 7 aside football so they would not miss out, we managed that team until we found a permanent manager for them, then had a handover process that allowed us to step away and concentrate solely on the 2011s. During that period, he represented the club, the team and most importantly himself in an exemplary manner, coaching the team, dealing with parents, sponsors, liaising with other teams and coaches to arrange fixtures, SFA football development officers, refereeing games. Jack is a reliable, trustworthy and very well respected by not only the children and their parents, but also spectators, sponsors, coaches, officials and teachers.
Jack is now working with Dundee FC youth academy and is in Dundee 4 nights a week coaching various age groups and attending games on a Saturday.
Due to being in Dundee every night of the week almost, Alex moved back to Ferry Athletic to help with the logistics, Jack is also back coaching Alex’s team at Ferry Athletic.
Jack also runs his own 1 to 1 football and exercise business, while helping both Skilz Academy and 360 TFT with their classes too. As a hobby in his free time, he carries out interviews with players and ex players on his own podcast channel.
As Jack’s parents, it makes us extremely proud to see him, not only feeding his own passion and desire, but giving up so much of his time for the enjoyment and development of others. To hear the kind praise and thanks that is directed towards him.
Darren and Lisa Tindal – Jacks Mum and Dad
Jack has been volunteering at Friockheim Primary School for 4 and a bit years (which has to equate to 100s of hours of his own time, for 10-12 boys and girls), on a Friday afternoon. The school has seen an increase in participation in football and there is no doubt that this is down to Jack.
He has proactively searched for opportunities to develop his skills and he has signed up and taken part in the annual Sports Leadership Academy – completing a bespoke football course run by the regional Football Development Officer and the subsequent Level 1 course last year. He is such a valuable asset to the volunteer team in our local schools: he sets a fantastic example to his young participants and unwillingly acts as a role model to them all.
Over a long period of time, Jack has displayed patience and professionalism beyond his years and shows a very good understanding of the school system – which a lot of adults struggle with! He has played an active role in developing positive school sport experiences for everyone and has contributed impressively to planning meetings alongside senior school staff and sport professionals.
It is clear that we are in a transitional period with youth sport and school sport, with a new culture moving away from winning at all costs. For me, Jack’s most impressive contribution is that he can be relied upon to do ‘do the right thing’, by being fair, inclusive and rewarding effort ,rather than being focused on the scoreboard. If we had a ‘Jack’ in every school in the country, school football would be a thriving and joyful place, full of motivated and positive children and adults. He is a dream of a young man.
David McLeish Active Schools Coordinator
Jack Tindal has been a great support to our school. He has a keen interest in football and he has used this to support our own football team turning up every Friday to confidently deliver a skills based programme and referee matches. He has a very calm nurturing approach when speaking to our children. He has also confidently and very responsibly refereed our championship matches. Jack is a very mature helpful young man, who has offered to help at other times such as recently playing Father Christmas at our Early Years Party.
Lorraine Robertson Friockhiem Primary School Headteacher
Jack Tindal came to us to volunteer in 2018. With his keenness and knowledge of the game we knew he would fit right in. He started helping with our development squad which at the time was a mixture of 5,6,7 and 8 year olds. He was there every week setting up and building relationships with the coaches and children. That showed us Jack would be an asset to the club.
This year saw the age groups split and Jack became a coach with our 2011 age group. He gives up time twice a week for the age group and has given up Saturday mornings when the children have tournaments. For some young men Jack’s age, they may need a lot of guidance in finding the confidence with setting up equipment, taking charge of the children and overall being one step ahead. But that has not been the case with Jack. From the very start he was there, using his own initiative, using his own knowledge and turning it into a language 5,6,7 and 8 year olds would understand and having control of the group.
Jack truly deserves to be recognised for the work and time he gives up to all the children he helps. We as a club are very pleased to have him on board and hope to get Jack through the coach education courses. We are very pleased to have him on our list of coaches and hope he is with us for a long time.
Linda Webster Arbroath Community Sports Club Chairperson
We know Jack mainly through our twin boys school football. We admire his commitment to the team, considering he is a young lad that could spend his time in many other pursuits. He is always present and prioritising being there for them, supporting and encouraging the boys when the team are training or playing.
A grounded young lad and mature beyond his years, displaying commitment and dedication to keep kids active and develop strengths. Our oldest Rory says” he likes working with jack who inspires him to be the best he can be on and off the park . Our youngest Mackenzie says “ jack will always encourage and point out areas of improvement in an enthusiastic way”. We are privileged as parents to have such a dedicated young man supporting younger ones in football, demonstrating admirable values which he is able to role model to younger ones.
Neil and Louise Smyth – Players Parents
I first met Jack through the football team at my son’s school. Jack with his father coach the team and Jack referees the games. For someone of his age to be able to control a group of children with ease in the way he does, highlights the respect the children have for him. I later had the pleasure of meeting them again when they joined Arbroath CSC, again demonstrating his relationship with the group, but it was also obvious how much the children look up to Jack also. When Jack’s Dad is away offshore, Jack continues to turn up and take training delivering excellent sessions for the boys working on their development while keeping them all engaged in the session. Jack also deals with parents, while arranging festivals, on top of this he has his own training and games also. As Zack’s parents we are very grateful to Jack for his time and effort, without doubt if it wasn’t for Jack, the boys would undoubtedly miss out on football, it is incredible that someone so young would dedicate so much time to help others.
John and Kerryanne Gilday – Players Parents
As a club in the heart of the local community we are absolutely proud and delighted of all that Jack has achieved and for all the other young footballers who he is inspiring to one day follow in his footsteps as he volunteers his time and skills to the younger children.
When life is a little back to normal we will be inviting Jack to Gayfield for a special day
Congratulations Jack!
C’mon the Lichties
