Who are RCT Tigers?

RCT Tigers is a pan disability football club which was set up in January 2008. It is an inclusive club which provides a warm, friendly environment for young people with a disability to enjoy training and playing football. This year marks the club’s 15 year anniversary.

My son’s story

I’d like, if I may, to tell you a little about my personal reasons for my involvement with the club and for setting up this fundraising page.

In June 2014 we adopted our youngest son, Kieran, and in March 2020 he received a diagnosis of ADHD. At this time he was 12 years of age and, like many youngsters his age, he was keen to play a sport. He tried various different activities but quickly lost interest, bouncing from one activity to the next as he never really felt that he fitted in – he was never “one of the gang”. Towards the end of 2022 he decided that he wanted to play football and, although i wanted to encourage him, my heart sank. By this time he was 14 years old – an age where it would be difficult for a neurotypical teenager to join a club, let alone a neurodiverse one – and, although I didn’t want to discourage him, equally, I didn’t want him to start another club where he wasn’t really accepted and would just further dent his self-confidence & self-esteem.

I really wanted him to be able to enjoy playing football like so many other youngsters his age so I set about looking for a club where he would genuinely fit in and not be made to feel different. I didn’t even know if such clubs existed and, even if they did, would there be one within easy travelling distance? After a quick internet search I came across RCT Tigers and I arranged for my son to attend a training session at Ystrad Sports Centre that Saturday morning.

The mission statement for the club is this :- “RCT Tigers F.C. is dedicated to making football opportunities available for the young people with a disability in the R.C.T. area a reality.” From my own personal experience at the club I can honestly say that it is one of the most welcoming, friendly clubs that I have had the pleasure of joining. Although our time at the club has been short, it has been so beneficial for my son.

From the moment Kieran walked in to training that very first morning he received the warmest welcome. He was immediately accepted and, when the training session was over, it was all he talked about during the week and couldn’t wait to go back the following Saturday. Kieran has always struggled socially but he quickly started making friends and we could see his confidence growing week by week. He had finally found somewhere where he fitted in. Form my own personal experience I have found the club to be warm, friendly and welcoming. It provides a safe space where the young people can be themselves – they don’t need to pretend to be somebody that they are not or fear being judged for their ability or disability. The club members have all sorts of abilities and disabilities but nobody sees the disability – just the person. For the time they are together they are able to forget about their health conditions, their worries and their stresses. Each member has their own problems but, when they are together, they can see that they are not alone – they are amongst peers who understand. They are all able to enjoy playing football in a safe environment and are all accepted for who they are.

There are very few opportunities for teenagers to socialise in the area and when I adopted my son I quickly learnt that these opportunities are even fewer for children and young people with additional needs. All parents want their child to be happy and accepted by their peers and it is heartbreaking to see them struggle to fit in when they are made to feel different. Finding this club has had a massive impact on my son’s life. He is growing in confidence week by week, making new friends, getting the exercise and enjoyment from playing football and, most importantly, starting to accept that he doesn’t need to change to be able to fit in. I recently said to him that I would take away his ADHD for him if I could and he replied, ”Why? I wouldn’t be able to play for The Tigers if you did” which shows just how much the club means to him already.

What the donations are for

The club is run entirely by volunteers but relies on donations and sponsorship to enable the teams to take part in various tournaments throughout the year and to present all the players with medals and trophies at the end of the season. The club are currently fundraising to buy new kits for the teams and would usually be looking for a local business to sponsor them. However, in the current financial climate, the total cost of the kits might be too great to be covered by an individual business.

How you can help

We are asking if you would please be able to consider making a donation to the club, no matter how small. The total cost of the kits is around £1500 which is a significant amount for the club to find.

Business owner?

If you are a business owner who would like to be associated with the club and are able to cover the total cost – or a significant proportion of it – then we would be more than happy to display your business’ name on the teams’ new kit.

Are you able to help please?

I hope that you might be able to consider making a donation to the club to help support them in their fundraising efforts. However, I realise that, in the current financial climate, you might not be in a position to do so at present so would ask if you could please keep the club in mind if you are looking to make any charitable donations in the future.

I know that the communities within R.C.T. are always very generous when it comes to supporting worthy causes and I am asking if you could please once again show this generosity by making a donation to the club - no matter how small - so that we can help to ensure that they can continue to transform the lives of young people with disabilities in the local community. You may even know of a young person who would benefit from joining the club and becoming part of the friendly, welcoming community that it offers. I will add the contact details at the bottom if you would like any further information on the club.

Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to read our story.

Contact details

If you would like further information about the club then please contact -info@rcttigers.co.uk

info@rcttigers.co.uk