Coach Dominic – by Ellis Newman

Coach Dominic (by Ellis aged 2)

We met Coach Dominic at the beginning of October just after my 2nd Birthday. I loved kicking and Daddy took me to little Kickers on a Saturday in Chigwell, just me and him… well, me him and some other boys and girls, all little like me and coach Dominic.

Coach Dominic was great, he didn’t mind if I did big kicks instead of little ones, he always took my hand and showed me what to do, he had a great little rhyme, ‘yummy, yummy in my tummy’ as we rolled the ball around our tummies, followed by my favourite bit ‘Noooo’. (Well he was a bit silly). He remembered every little boy and girls name and made sure everyone was alright and got a go. I liked the way he got me to do thumbs up before he blew the whistle, but didn’t mind that I couldn’t quite get the difference between fingers and thumbs, I never missed a high five with him though after I scored a goal.

At the end of the kicking he gave me a sticker, I always took that home to Mummy and told her what we did with coach Dominic.

When I got to little kickers last week Coach Dominic wasn’t there. Coach Titch said something to Daddy and Daddy looked sad. I managed all the things Coach Dominic had showed me for the first time, I hope he was hiding and saw me…

In memory of Dominic Brown, by Ellis Newman