The Premier League Charitable Fund has launched the Premier League Kicks Alumni survey, which aims to understand the impact that the Premier League's longest-running community programme has on participants.
As part of this campaign, we are telling the story of the programme through the voices of those who have taken part.
To complete the Alumni survey, click here.
Yasmeen Zaman started her playing career when she was only nine-years-old.
However, by the time Yasmeen had become a teenager, a shortage of girls teams meant she had stopped playing.
That all changed when at secondary school, Yasmeen met a coach from Manchester United Foundation who introduced her to the Premier League Kicks programme.
"When I was younger there were challenges of not having the opportunity to play and not having role models of my religion and culture," she says. "I joined Premier League Kicks mainly to just play football.
"We were able to have a kickabout, I was meeting new people and talking with the coaches. It was such a positive environment."
It was while at Premier League Kicks that Yasmeen found role models to help guide and support her along pathways that would help her learn new skills and stay in football.
"To have a role model from the same culture was very important," Yasmeen says. "If I didn't see any role models or people that were like me during the year I was a participant, I probably wouldn't have stuck it out."
Yasmeen soon began volunteering before gaining employment with the Foundation last year when she turned 18.
"I just wanted to stay in the sport industry," she says. "It's not usual for girls of my religion to do sports. I just wanted to play football and do something in football. I didn't care what it was."
Since joining Manchester United Foundation, Yasmeen has tried to grasp every opportunity available to her. She has taken coaching and leadership courses and was one of the Foundation's representatives at the Munich Air Disaster commemorations last year in Germany.
"My head coach at school got me leading sessions and that helped increase my confidence so that I would be willing to try new pathways," she says. "I have definitely changed as a person. I never used to talk to anyone, especially to people I didn't know.
"I am proud because I was a very shy kid, I didn't want to do anything. It's been a long journey."
And in her job as a casual coach, Yasmeen is now a role model to the next generation of aspiring footballers and coaches.
"One of the girls I coach said her family doesn't really approve of her playing football, it was like that for me as well," she says. "But it's not just football, it provides a safe environment to meet new people, have fun, coach or to do whatever it is they want to do. That's exactly what it gave me.
"It's amazing. For these girls now, there's lots of different opportunities. It's a special programme."
What is Premier League Kicks?
Funded by the Premier League through the Premier League Charitable Fund, Premier League Kicks uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential, in some of the most high-need areas in England and Wales.
More than half a million people have benefited to date.
