Mount Kelly is proud to celebrate the achievements of the first six graduates from our Girls’ Performance Football Programme, delivered in partnership with Chelsea Football Club.
These talented young women, who completed the Programme between 2021 and 2023, have gone on to take up impressive leadership roles at Universities across the UK and the USA:
Emma H – Captain, Northumbria University
Scarlet M – Captain, Leeds Beckett University
Ruby M – Captain, University of Nottingham
Alice G – President, University of Chichester
Cal B – Leadership Group, Rogers State University, USA
Rosie T – Captain, University of Rio Grande, USA
The Mount Kelly Chelsea Programme was launched to provide aspiring young female footballers with a pathway to combine academic excellence with elite-level football training. The success of our first graduates demonstrates the strength of that vision and the enduring impact of sport on personal development and leadership.
Several of the girls recently caught up with Tommy, Director of Girls’ Football, to share how their time at Mount Kelly shaped their journeys beyond school.
Reflecting on her experience, Alice G, now President at the University of Chichester, said that “the Mount Kelly Chelsea Programme played a huge role in helping me transition smoothly to university life.” She explained that its strong focus on football helped her develop “discipline, resilience and teamwork – skills that now help me both on and off the pitch.” The leadership opportunities, she added, taught her “how to take responsibility, communicate effectively and support others – qualities that have been invaluable in university settings.
For Emma H, now Captain at Northumbria University, the Programme was “instrumental” in helping her balance A Levels with elite-level football. She credits coaches Tommy and Judith for “guiding me through my two years at Mount Kelly” and said that captaining the team taught her “responsibility and communication.” The friendships she formed, she added, gave her “confidence and a sense of belonging that will last a lifetime.”
At the University of Rio Grande in the USA, Rosie T recalled the close bond shared by the first cohort of girls. “We all came to Mount Kelly united by a love of football that helped us grow and fostered a strong sense of community,” she said. “Together, we set each other up for great futures, and it’s amazing to see that every one of us has become a leader or captain in our current teams. That shows how far we’ve come thanks to the values we gained at Mount Kelly.”
At Mount Kelly, we are immensely proud to see our pupils not only excelling in sport but also stepping into leadership roles that will shape their futures. These six graduates are a testament to the power of sport in education and to the strength of our ongoing partnership with Chelsea Football Club.
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