Luke Robinson

This next interviewee is a football coach rather than a writer, but he is a fantastic success story, and an inspiration to anyone from a difficult background. I hope that by interviewing people like Luke, we can all see the positive traits needed to achieve in life. 

Tell me about yourself...

I'm from a working-class background, my family were all involved with sport growing up, Mum - Gymnastics, Dad - Football, Grandad and Uncle -Boxing. I had some tough times growing up as a kid, however we always had enough to get by and as a family we always worked through things. I was involved heavily in football from a young age, signed for Sheffield Wednesday at ten years old and was there until I was sixteen. My parents made huge sacrifices to ensure I got the opportunities there. Without football and this regimented lifestyle I could have easily found myself on the wrong path as I had family members and people close to me involved in organised crime etc. I used to enjoy fighting so going to the boxing gym with my Grandad was a natural progression for me. Once I left Sheffield Wednesday - after being unsuccessful getting a contract at sixteen - I spent time at Bradford City and Guiseley AFC as a player, but I had a deep passion for coaching and natural leadership/communication qualities so I put my drive and focus into coaching, going to Liverpool John Moores University to study sports coaching. It took me three years to do two-year A levels and four years to do a three-year degree, having to endure lots of setbacks in the way. I worked hard at my craft, taking coaching opportunities in America in the summer before moving to Liverpool FC, coaching abroad for 3 years for them in the summers, and in my last year at university I took a part-time role at Bradford City Academy as an assistant coach. I set myself the goal to be the full-time foundation phase lead coach at the club, which I achieved within three years. I held the role at the club for two seasons before moving to Manchester City to be the U-10's assistant coach, before being promoted to the lead coach for the U-9's. I am currently on my UEFA A license, as well as having finished my advanced youth award.

Has your social background had an impact on your work ambitions?

I believe it definitely can when you're growing up, I think the role models you have around you and what you see day to day in your life can shape what you do. However, I believe that no matter what your social background is if you have the right principles installed within you, your background then becomes irrelevant. I have seen people who come from a lot of money have zero work ethic and people who come from nothing that are hungry to work. I think it can work both ways - negative and positive - depending on the individuals drive, however there can be situations where people from certain backgrounds are told they won't be successful as they are from a certain area, but yet again this goes down to the individuals' beliefs and what they witness around them. My dad has worked 5am-8.30pm and six days a week since I can remember so my role model for hard work was always there and I knew if we wanted nice things he had to go and make sacrifices.

Did you feel that when you were were growing up that there was something specific that made you different to others?

One hundred per cent, I have always believed I am different to others. Whether that has been shaped more as I was growing up I'm not sure, but I always believed I thought in a different way and seen a different perspective. As a kid I could always see myself being successful and I always had a great imagination. I believe this is key to making yourself different and ambitious. As well as this, as a kid I had a lot of setbacks and tough scenarios as a child, I felt I was always trying to prove something to my parents and other people. I wanted to prove people wrong, and myself right with whatever I did. However, as I have become older I have realised this can be dangerous if you don't manage your motivations properly, you only need to prove to yourself and your own demons you can do it.

How do you develop confidence and positivity?

This is something that has to be worked on over time, as kids we are always restricted; 'You can't do this, can't do that, it's too much etc'. I think first and foremost it starts from appreciating your qualities as a person and understanding yourself and what you are as a person. Next is to not worry about other peoples' opinions of yourself if you believe you are doing the right things, if you believe you're trying your hardest and being a good person but someone still doesn't like you, then who cares?!

As well as this whatever you give out will come back to yourself, so if you are giving negative comments out about other people you're only going to bring them back to yourself, so stay away from being negative to other people. Once you do these things you'll naturally feel more positive, and when it comes to confidence you have to set goals and targets to give your mind a sense of achievement. This may be a day to day target of just getting out of bed at 7.30 am, next it might be getting out of bed at 7.30 am and going on a thirty-minute walk. Once you start to achieve your goals and recognise the positive things you're doing to achieve these goals, your confidence will increase, this is when you can set yourself bigger and more long term goals. When setting these goals you must well and truly believe in them, every goal I set I believe that I already have it and it's just a matter of time before it is physically in front of me. When you are in this state of mind your confidence and positivity will continue to grow. I have seen this happen first hand to myself and other people, write your goals down in your diary and stick to them every day, believe every day is a step closer and you will draw that goal towards you.

How would you advise to others to persist and keep dreaming?

Similar to the last answer, if you don't believe it yourself than nobody else will. I have told people my goals and been laughed at, or a face pulled at me, people thinking I'm delusional. But this only added fuel to my fire and I well and truly just believed that every day those tasks I didn't necessarily want to do were a stepping stone to my goals.

People who dream big, have an imagination and have ambitions are the ones who reach their goals, fight off their demons and become successful. They don't let their inner demons win because they know they are on a path and whatever curve ball or setback gets thrown in their way they understand it is just a test to get them to the next step. Children are always smiling because they're dreaming and imagining they are footballers, spacemen etc. However when we lose this in our brains we can quite easily spiral down into a negative state and into a rut. It's important to dream and believe in what you're doing.

What is it about a working-class background that can benefit you when following your ambitions?

Resilience after having things against you. Having to work for things you're not naturally given within life, this is a great benefit. Not having things easy always gives you an appreciation of your life and the good things in it.

What does the future hold for you?

The future for me is very exciting, I am on the ladder at Manchester City as a coach and I fully expect myself to develop and become one of the best youth coaches in the country. As well as this in 2021, I will become a dad and start a family, which I am so excited for. I want to be the best Dad possible for my kids, showing them that you can work hard, dream big and be successful. As long as I make them and my family proud with what I am doing, I am happy.