By Samantha Habgood

I have been privileged enough to have attended a few of Crystal Palace DS Eagles training sessions on Wednesday evenings at 6-7pm. Sessions are based at Monks Hill Sports Center in South Croydon.

DS Eagles got a taste of their first match experience when they played Fulham Badgers in a friendly match.

After speaking to Hayden Habgood who went to support DS Eagles in their first game, he had this to say:

“It was really important to both teams but in particular DS Eagles as it was their first game.”

Parent, Sam, kindly answered some questions about her son, Max, and his love for playing football.

Q: Why do you think it’s important for young people with Down’s Syndrome to participate in football? 

A: When I was pregnant with Max, we had no idea that he was going to be born with Down’s Syndrome. So when he was, I set about reading everything I could about Down’s Syndrome/learning disabilities. One of the best…and most life-affirming lines I read was ‘different does not mean worse’. So why shouldn’t he play football like most other young boys therefore….he LOVES playing, he loves going to watch The Eagles play, he loves having the affinity to a team. But all this aside, if you’ve got Down’s Syndrome, you need fewer calories than ‘typical’ people. So logically, you either need to eat less or play more sport. Max loves his food so he needs to keep playing sport!

Q: How important do you think the game between DS Eagles and Fulham Badgers was to both teams and parents watching? 

A: Very important. Hugely exciting for everyone.

Q: How easy/difficult was it to find sporting activities for your child with a disability in your local area? 

A: Personally, I’m like a dog with a bone in terms of finding sporting outlets for Max. But it’s really not made easy for parents to find these opportunities. That’s a real shame.

Q: You saw a video of your child score the only goal from a free kick during DS Eagles game against Fulham Badgers, can you please explain how you felt seeing that. 

A: Like the proudest Mum in the world!