The first competitive game of the season saw the U7’s play host to Droitwich at Piddle Park. For the majority of the U7 Pershore Pirates this was the first time they had played a proper game against anyone other than their team-mates. If they were nervous though, none of them showed it, in fact if there were any nerves on display it was on the part of the coaches.

The morning started with a few group photos of the kids in their match tops and then, along with the Droitwich players, it was onto a game of bulldog. For those unfamiliar with this particular game, it starts with the coaches standing in the middle of the pitch as a defensive line and all the kids need to do is run from one end of the pitch to the other without the ‘defenders’ removing their tags. It’s a great way of raising the kids excitement levels ahead of the games and for the coaches an opportunity to burn off a few calories.

After being split into three groups of five, the teams took to the pitches. From the off it was apparent that even though most of the players had only a few weeks of practice under their belts they understood and for the most part, could do the basics. This was a great encouragement for the coaches, as it’s always the worry that this might not be the case.

After two games each the players had one more game of bulldog followed by some much deserved hotdogs. A special thanks to the coaches and players from Droitwich, who all played fairly and provided guidance and support to the players. Also a big thanks to the Pershore Pirates who made their coaches very proud with their enthusiasm and overall gamesmanship.

Anyone wanting further information on playing should contact Ben Andrews on 07779 927 852 or e-mail prfc.juniors@hotmail.co.uk