Win, lose or draw Natalie's loving it
THERE can't be too many 20-year-old girls football coaches who love the sport as much as Natalie Watson.
She eats, sleeps and breathes football. She has done ever since her aunt and uncle, Janet and Peter Waterhouse, first took her to watch Hull City draw 2-2 with Peterborough at the KC Stadium in the 2004-05 season.
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But her love of the beautiful game isn't confined to watching the Tigers as often as she can, it goes much further.
Natalie volunteered to managed Goole Town girls' under-10s three seasons ago and she's loved every minute of it.
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Now, she has been nominated as volunteer of the year in the Mail's Sporting Champions awards as a reward for the hours she puts into her sport.
"I can't get enough football," Natalie told the Mail.
"I was studying for my Community Sports Leader award and I needed to volunteer and be a sports coach.
"A lot of opportunities were in the Scunthorpe area, but I found one in Goole which was ideal for me because I live there.
"Initially it was for one season, but I'm now here in my third year. I love it.
"I'm now studying for a degree in Sports Coaching Development and Fitness at Bishop Burton.
"I find it hard sometimes to juggle it all as I get drawn to the coaching side of things. But I have to be disciplined and concentrate on my studies."
Coaching nine-year-olds isn't easy at the best of times, but some of Natalie players have never even played the game before.
However, she takes great satisfaction in starting the next generation of girls footballers on the road to success.
She has taken time out of her studies and coaching to organise an inter-school girls tournament this summer.
As part of that competition, she visited 13 different primary schools, coaching over 300 pupils who had never been on a football pitch before.
The knock-on effect of that initiative has been a surge in players wanting to play for Goole Town's girls teams.
And that gives Natalie more satisfaction than winning any trophy.
"I'm not bothered if the team wins or loses," she said.
"The important thing for me is to see the girls enjoy themselves. That makes me very happy.
"Sometimes the girls can be hard to control, but I've got used to them now.
"This year, my team has won one, drawn one and lost one in their first three games.
"There are a few players I have noticed that I think will be stars in the future."
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