Leeds United show support for Anti-Bullying Week | OneFootball

Leeds United showed support for Anti-Bullying Week recently, with the Under-14 Girls Academy team spending time at Thorp Arch for an exclusive workshop and tour with players from the Leeds United Women's squad.

The young females were invited to the club's training ground, many making the journey for the first time, by the Leeds United Foundation's Head of Health and Wellbeing, Simon Wood, who is also the manager of Leeds United Women, with the team joined by Abi Lee, Ellie White and Shauna Legge for the visit.

This Anti-Bullying Week workshop focused on confidence, teamwork, respect and resilience, providing valuable guidance for both on and off the pitch for the youngsters, who were able to ask questions and learn first-hand from the advice offered by the Leeds United Women staff.

Abigail Lee, who also acts as the Head of Women and Girls at the Leeds United Foundation, said: “It was fantastic to see our Under-14s Girls Academy spend the evening at Thorp Arch as part of Anti-Bullying Week. This was the first time we’ve run a workshop like this within our female youth pathway, making it a really exciting milestone for the programme.

“Workshops like this are so important because they give our young players more than just football skills - they help build confidence, resilience, teamwork, and respect, both on and off the pitch. Being able to tour the training ground and see the facilities for the first time was great for many of the players, and meeting and hearing the stories of women and their challenges and journeys in professional sport.

“Experiences like this not only motivate the players but also show them the opportunities available if they continue to work hard and stay engaged. It’s a reminder that supporting young athletes isn’t just about on the pitch, it’s about giving them the tools, experiences, and role models to thrive both as footballers and as young people.”

The girls also had the opportunity to speak with Rosie Harris, the Women’s and Youth Pathway Strength and Conditioning Coach, who shared her journey from playing netball professionally to working within a football environment, offering insights into working in different sports and around different people.

The evening concluded with a behind-the-scenes look at a Women’s first team training session, giving the players a unique look into their access amongst the first-team facilities, and inspiring the next generation of local athletes.

After the session, Leeds United Women’s midfielder White said: “I think it's massively important to talk about self-confidence and supporting each other. Being a part of a team is something that is special to everyone, you've got so many different people around you to help you, so many different supporting mechanisms, but I think your teammates are the fundamental part to what makes you tick and what gives you confidence.

“I think here at Leeds, being a part of such a positive team and having that positive environment around us, it really helps our game and it helps how well we’re playing. I think confidence thrives off confidence. If you're confident in yourself, your team is going to be confident in you and it's a bit of a knock-on effect with everyone else.

“Having that relationship between the first team and the Foundation is massive,” White added. “I think it's nice to have that clear link in order for the Academy to have something to look up to and look forward to as they go through their footballing career.”

“I wasn’t lucky enough to be in an Academy setting when I was younger and didn’t really experience anything like that,” Leeds captain Legge admitted. “I think it shows how much the game has grown off the pitch in regard to wellbeing as well as being a football player.

“I think it’s great that we can support each other like that and it was a proud moment personally to be involved in something that I think could have inspired a younger me!

“I hope as young players it was insightful for them, and they could take something away from it. I enjoyed listening to their thoughts and wish them all the best for the long-playing careers they have ahead of them, hopefully in a Leeds shirt."