Jack Howard, Moorland Football Academy Old Boy!!
Introduction
Jack joined Moorland in 2015 from an International school in Dubai and spent five years studying at Moorland and training within our Football Academy. We sat down with him and chatted through his time here and his journey following graduation.
How did you find settling in at Moorland?
I found it very easy to settle in as I moved over with a group of boys from Dubai so there were already some familiar faces. We also all played football which meant we had something in common, that helped when meeting new people and looking for things to talk about.
How did you find out about Moorland?
Originally my best friend from Dubai found out about Moorland through our football coach who had trained here and he told us about the ‘dream’ of playing football every single day and this was something that I found really appealing. It only took me 3 or 4 weeks and I was already over here at my taster – the rest was history!
Did you enjoy your time studying and playing football at Moorland?
I was really happy at Moorland with the school life. Clitheroe was big enough to go out and do things at the weekend, Blackburn also wasn’t too far away and Manchester was easy to get to on the train so we never found ourselves bored. During the weeks we were also busy as we would train after school as well as during the school day. We also had a set time to do our homework after school and we had a few hours in the evening to relax before bedtime. The terms went by really quickly!
What was your favourite subject at Moorland?
One of my favourite subjects was probably Computer Science. I really enjoyed it as we had a small class which gave me the opportunity to ask questions and I really enjoyed learning how to code. The teachers also went above and beyond and gave me extra support during breaks and lunchtimes throughout my time at Moorland.
How important was football when at Moorland?
During my time at Moorland, football was everything that I wanted. I would come out of class and want to play and train. As it gets towards your GCSE’s it does slow down slightly but I was still getting 7-8 hours a week during school time. The support that the school provides is incredible – we had a goalkeeping coach, a strength coach and a fitness coach which all helped with my footballing journey.
What were your winning highlights at Moorland?
Whilst I was at Moorland I think we won three national championships and three Lancashire Cups. We were incredibly competitive which is a good environment to be in. I know the school has just won another, which is brilliant news.
How well did Moorland prepare you for life after school?
I started attending Moorland when I was 13. It gave me the opportunity to learn to do the little things like doing your own laundry, brushing your teeth etc without someone to hold you accountable! Now I live in America on my own, I have so many life skills that I learnt at Moorland which have been amazing living out in the US.
Where are you since leaving Moorland?
I am currently at University in America. I am double majoring pursuing two degrees in Exercise Science and Psychology. Hopefully after I finish my course I will continue to pursue my footballing career, if not I hope to go down the coaching route. Whilst I was at Moorland I started coaching alongside Mr Jackson which really helped my career and brought on my love for coaching.
Why would you recommend Moorland to future students?
Aside from the ballet and football specialism it is located in a nice area, it’s small which means teachers give every student the attention they need so the teacher knows your strengths and weaknesses but not too small where you feel isolated.
Moorland also gave me a lot of opportunities both in the classroom and on the pitch. Like I say I was a lot more independent after attending Moorland and I really enjoyed being with my friends 24/7. You can’t get much better as a 16 year old lad being with your friends, living together and having a good time.
