Liverpool FC Women stars Cornelia Kapocs and Beata Olsson visited Liverpool College to inspire young pupils and promote confidence, resilience and positive mental wellbeing through the LFC Foundation’s Sound Minds programme.
The players joined girls taking part in the Foundation’s mental wellbeing initiative, which is delivered across primary and secondary schools throughout the Liverpool City Region.
Sound Minds helps children develop positive mental health, emotional awareness and resilience, equipping them with practical tools to build confidence and support their wellbeing both inside and outside the classroom.
During the visit, Cornelia and Beata took part in classroom activities alongside the pupils, including creating a confidence tree designed to encourage the girls to recognise their strengths, understand their emotions and explore their future ambitions.
Beata Olsson was particularly impressed by the confidence and aspirations shown by the young participants.
Beata said:
“I thought it was really cool to see that so many of them already had a lot of confidence, I was sat next to three girls and all of them said they were going to be professional footballers and play tennis and be singers and all of these things.
“I think showing that we can do that and that it’s a possible future for them is so important. As young women we are not as exposed to people in ‘cool’ jobs and things you aspire to be when you’re younger. I think it’s really important in their position to see someone who is a professional footballer or doing something you’re good at, I don’t take what we are doing for granted.”
The visit gave pupils the opportunity to hear first-hand from professional footballers about the importance of self-belief, overcoming challenges and developing resilience both on and off the pitch.
Andy Hanlon, mental health programme manager at LFC Foundation, said:
“It was fantastic to have Cornelia and Beata at the session and see the influence they had on the pupils and how engaged the young girls were throughout.
“We know that confidence can have a huge impact on a young person’s wellbeing, relationships and aspirations, and visits like this help bring those key messages to life in a memorable and inspiring way.”
The school visit formed part of a wider programme of activities organised by LFC Foundation ahead of World Mental Health Day.
This included the launch of the first video in its Kicking Off Conversations series, featuring lifelong Liverpool supporter and UFC star Paddy Pimblett.
Meanwhile, more than 400 people attended sessions through the Foundation’s Red Hot Beats programme, which promotes positive mental health and encourages people to recognise when others may need support.
Through initiatives such as Sound Minds, LFC Foundation continues to use the power of football to make a positive difference to the lives of young people across Liverpool and the wider city region.
For more information about the Foundation’s health and wellbeing programmes, visit the official LFC Foundation website.
