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.
For many participants, being a part of Premier League Kicks leads to pathways and careers that they had never considered.
Arsenal in the Community sessional coach Mya Priddie-Barbosa is one of those participants.
Mya, who joined Premier League Kicks as a 12-year-old in 2014, is now inspiring and supporting a new generation of young people who attend her sessions.
This is her story.
"I'd always played sports growing up. I joined an all-girls secondary school and opportunities to play football were limited. The team that I played for was an all-boys team... I was the only girl there.
"That's when a friend told me about Premier League Kicks with Arsenal in the Community. I started on a summer programme before I got involved in the weekly sessions.
"There was an all-girls session. I wasn't thinking longer term about coaching, I just wanted to play football.
"The chance to play kept me coming back. The sessions were at the Arsenal Hub, so as an Arsenal fan, being next door to the stadium every week was a fantastic experience. It was a really friendly, welcoming environment.
"It didn't matter what level you were, you were always involved.
"The coaches are so impactful. They relate to you, they want you to do well, they care about what you're doing on the pitch, off the pitch, even if it's simple things like asking you how your day was.
"As I got older, I got more and more leadership opportunities and Arsenal told me about different programmes they had. I started to think that this could be a career. I knew I wanted to stay involved in sports, I just didn't know in what capacity.
"My transition to coaching came after COVID in 2021 when I signed up as a volunteer on some of the girls programmes.
"It involved me shadowing what the coaches were doing. I would lead warm-ups, cool downs and I watched how the coaches were running sessions. They showed me how to plan and be adaptable.
"A job opportunity came up so I applied... and I got it! It's been amazing. The amount of different things I've been able to do, taking the girls to tournaments, matches, the day-to-day sessions, the different community projects that we do, it's all been really cool.
"Premier League Kicks has really helped with my confidence and leadership skills. I was quite introverted and shy when I was younger. I wouldn't be the person to speak up, I'd let somebody else do it. But all of the opportunities I've had have given me the chance to express my ideas.
"Thanks to Premier League Kicks, I'm more likely to say yes to different things and to having different experiences.
"In the 2016/17 season I was a participant at the Premier League Kicks Cup and former Arsenal player Alex Scott came over to speak with us and give us advice. It was mind-blowing. She was a big inspiration to all of us so for her to spend time with us was a massive deal.
"Last summer I was back at the Premier League Kicks Cup and it was like an out-of-body experience because I felt like I should be on the pitch playing. To talk about my time with the programme was an honour.
"Premier League Kicks is massive for the girls and women's game. On the pitch, off the pitch, there's always something there that you will be interested in. It's important that the girls know as long as they keep coming to the sessions, they are going to get a chance to do something they like to do.
"Being a coach, we're showing the participants that they can follow in our footsteps. It's just highlighting the opportunities that are there, 'just say yes to everything when you're given that chance.'
"Premier League Kicks means everything to me. It's given me different opportunities, a job, confidence and leadership skills. I owe the programme a lot.
"If people say I am a role model, it is a privilege. It's fantastic to be an important and trustworthy person in the lives of the participants."
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.
