Rebecca James reports as the Orient player visits Score Centre students…
Gary Sawyer, the Leyton Orient defender, visited young people currently studying a BTEC Sports qualification offered by the Leyton Orient Trust and delivered in the Score centre opposite the Matchroom Stadium. It allows the unique opportunity to play football whilst gaining a qualification that can lead to university or a number of different careers in sport.
He spent an hour talking to them about his career to give them a chance to hear a personal insight into professional football and its pressures. He explained that he chose to move away from home at the age of 15 to play for Plymouth, saying, “It takes all of your dedication and you have to make big sacrifices.”
The O’s defender spent some time talking about his personal diet and training regime as the students on the course study nutrition and sports science, explaining, “Hydration is one of the most important things, we have our hydration monitored throughout the week. If you are not hydrated enough you are more prone to injuries!”
For the second half of the session, the students were able to ask Sawyer questions. One asked, “How does it make professionals feel when they get injured?” Sawyer answered, “It is one of the hardest times when you get injured and you can’t train with the team. It can happen in a big game when there is so much pressure on you. Sometimes the pressure can make people panic, do a silly tackle and it can result in an injury. The aim is to try and be as professional as possible although injuries can happen at any time.”
A level three student asked, “What has been the highlight of your career?” Sawyer responded, “Going to Wembley last year was up there. But when I was 19 I played against Man United and it was my first professional game for Exeter, it was incredible.”
After the question and answer session, Sawyer said, “It is great to be able to visit the students and give them an insight into what you have to do to keep yourself fit and healthy. The course is a great idea for students that are interested in sports as they can get further education or a career once they are finished.”