Many will have (hopefully) seen details of North Riding FA’s Matchday Assistant initiative, which encourages clubs to appoint a volunteer at youth matches to help promote positivity around the matchday environment, and ensure that everyone has fun and continues to enjoy the game.

One club that has appointed a Matchday Assistant that is having a fantastic impact on games is Scarborough Athletic Juniors’ Academy, whose Matchday Assistant, Matt, is providing a perfect example of what a Matchday Assistant can achieve.

Matt acts as a point of contact during fixtures, with a key aim of his being to ensure that all children have fun, develop, and most importantly, maintain a love for the beautiful game.

Matt reports any and all unacceptable, or inappropriate, behaviour or language to the club’s Welfare Officer. As you can see, Matt provides a warm welcome to all of our parents and spectators, promoting and ensuring a positive environment for everyone at all times.

An amazing ambassador for the club, Matt relays the club’s key messages of always being positive, applaud everyone, let the children play with freedom, enjoy the football experience, and create happy, positive memories that everyone can cherish.

Matt also does a great job in ensuring that Scarborough Athletic Junior Academy sites are perfect for children to play at, enabling that they learn and develop through their journey in football, and reminding people that there is no smoking, no vaping, or no dogs allowed on the club’s sites.

Keep up the great work, Matt and Scarborough Athletic Juniors Academy. It’s great to see.

Please click here to find out more about our Matchday Assistant initiative and how you can appoint one.

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