As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Youth Voice’ month, we spoke to Uzo Anosike, a participant at our delivery partners Street Soccer London. The budding young sports journalist told us the impact the organisation has had on his life since he first attended their Levelling the Playing Field session last year.

How did you start with Street Soccer London?

It was October 2020, me and my friends just went for a kickabout and they told us about the whole programme. We weren’t that serious about it. At the time, we weren’t trying to make connections or build relationships, we just wanted somewhere to play football.

After that session, we told more of our friends at school about it and it just blew up. The numbers were big and the football was very competitive.

It meant a lot to me, because this was just after Covid and this was the first time we’d been out since the lockdown. I hadn’t been playing much football for the previous two years. Football is really important to me. It’s more than just a sport, it is important in lots of aspects of my life. I really liked it. It’s pure street football. We get into teams and do a mini tournament each week.

What impact has it had on you and your friends’ lives?

Most of the people who go, we don’t know what we’d be doing if we weren’t playing football. A lot of us live around the Kennington or Vauxhall area. I wouldn’t say it’s a really bad area but it’s not the best either. We all come from estates where a lot of bad things happen. We could be there but Street Soccer London gave us the opportunity to play football with our friends, mix and interact and there’s no bad energy there.

I’ve been going for the longest out of anyone there. Before, I would just go out and chill on the road with my mates and you don’t know what kind of stuff you might get into. People like Craig [McManus, Street Soccer London founder] and other staff members they helped me see sense, gave me maturity, helped me improve and now I’m not going back to the streets, I’m making myself productive, I’m going to work and soon I’ll be going to uni.

If you asked me today where I would be if I didn’t go to Street Soccer, I would never have imagined it would have this impact on my life.

In what ways have they helped you off the pitch?

It's not just football, they’ve helped me with my career. I’ve told Craig that I want to be a sports journalist and he’s helped me out with my interviewing. They got me in with Chuks Aneke [Birmingham City striker]. Journalism was just a dream for me, but Street Soccer have really helped me get on the ladder towards that career. I’ve spoken to guys at the BBC, ABC News and Jake Humphrey from BT Sport. Their advice has been amazing.

Street Soccer helped me apply for my law course at Brunel University and have really influenced my decisions. I start it in September. I can honestly say they do get us opportunities.

When I started going there, I recognised the difference in my life before. I saw that my previous schools or careers advisers didn’t really go out of their way to help me, even though I’d told them what I wanted to be. Street Soccer London have done more for this community than most people to help youth grow and support us to a deep level.

Who do you support?

I’m an Arsenal fan. It’s depressing at the moment! Who do you support? [I mention I’m a Southampton fan]. Oh, man, we’re now at the same level!

Great to speak to you Uzo

You too, man.

Uzo is a Levelling the Playing Field research ambassador, helping us collect data from his Street Soccer London team-mates. This data feeds into our evidence base proving the positive impact of sport and physical activity on ethnically diverse children at risk of entering, or already involved with the Criminal Justice System.