A year ago, I built Beyond the Pitch as a platform to showcase my work, share stories, and apply the skills I was developing at university. I never imagined I would be sitting in the position I am in today, seeing the potential for it to become much bigger.

Somewhere along the l journey, the vision changed. What started as a way to tell stories has given me a greater sense of direction, drive and purpose that extends beyond my own ambitions.

My time as a sports coach has played a significant role in shaping this vision. Being around young athletes week after week has shown me that genuine talent exists far beyond the academy systems that often dominate the conversations about the future of sport.

More importantly, I have built personal connections with the players I work with. I have seen them experience the high of great performances and the frustrations of difficult ones. I have seen their attitudes in the school hallways, commitment during training, and the personalities that emerge away from the spotlight. These experiences have shown me that there is so much more to an athlete than what they produce on the pitch.

Every young player has ambitions, struggles, and experiences that shape their relationship with sport. I want to tell those stories, the ones that allow people to see the individual behind the performance and understand why sport can mean so much in someone’s life. Sometimes the most compelling journeys belong to people still discovering what they are capable of, rather than those who have already made it.

It made me realise that the stories Beyond the Pitch needs may already be all around us. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found something that combines my passion for storytelling with the opportunity to make a genuine difference in young people’s lives. It is an opportunity I had had more of when I was younger, and one I do not take lightly.

There is still a long way to go, but for the first time, I can see the foundations of something I once only imagined.

The vision is growing. Now it is about bringing it to life.

Beyond the Pitch. Beyond the game, beyond the result, beyond what we see on the surface.