25/10/23.
Above: Pride Park’s Junior Reporter winners pictured with the first team squad. Photo: Pride Park FC.
At the end of last season, Impetus partner club Pride Park, ran a competition to find their best Junior Reporters among their younger players. To enter, participants were asked to submit no more than five questions they would like to ask one of our first team players – with the winners picked out by our expert football panel, including Impetus editor Ben Gilby, Jen O’Neill the Editor of She Kicks Magazine and Faye Hackwell, freelance journalist and blog writer for Her Game Too.
The winning interviews with first team players Summer Evans, Tash Allderidge, and Beth Jones were those submitted by Katie-Louise Smith (U9 Pumas), Edie Hill (U11), and Polly Hill (U12 Phoenix) respectively.
In the last of our Junior Reporters’ interviews, the judges picked “the best of the rest” – with questions submitted by Zoe Topps of our U11 Lionesses, Megan Walters of U12 Phoenix, Betsy Pilkington of U13 Bobcats and Lucy Topps of U13 Bobcats.
Their favourite questions from the entries were put to six of our senior team – Polish striker and all-time leading goalscorer (with 108 goals) Maja Znamirowska, defender from north of the border, Sophie Ayton, Eliot Sayavong – central midfielder/defender from the United States, goalkeeper Jade Howell, together with full back Rachel Weaver, centre back Annie Laight, and the club’s longest-serving player without a break – since 2005 – Hannah Kwiatek
All our winners were invited to the Ladies’ Derbyshire County FA Women’s County Cup match at Moorways on Sunday, where they were pictured (see photo) with the Ladies team.
Question from Zoe Topps (u11 Lionesses): What do you do before the match starts and you come out onto the pitch?
Maja: I usually drive the two hours from Liverpool listening to music. Mostly AC-DC! Just right before the match I try to make everybody laugh so telling stupid jokes is definitely my routine. There’s one thing I don’t do before the match but only the girls know it – so let’s keep it as a secret.
Sophie: I make sure I’ve warmed up and focused on my own game. I know if I give 100% then I can be proud of how I perform and ultimately help the team win!
Eliot: a final stretch of my legs and ensure my hair is out of my face fully
Annie: Before the match starts and I come onto the pitch I usually have a drink because I know I’ll be needing to keep hydrated throughout the first half until halftime! And there’s a chance for any last conversations with teammates and managers about the game.
Rachel: I always need to go to the loo before a match! But apart from that, it’s just making sure we warm up well
Hannah: I don’t really have any fixed rituals I do before a game. I like to listen to music in the car on the way to the match but right before coming out onto the pitch, I’m mostly just talking to my teammates and making sure my boots, socks, and shin pads are comfortable, then I’ll also go through some exercises to help strengthen my ankle
Jade: I think a substantial part of being a goalkeeper comes down to your mentality so I try to get in the zone before a match and manifest confidence so that when I come on the pitch I’m confident and hopefully can perform better. I also blast out some drum and bass on my journey there which always helps get in the zone.
Question from Megan Walters (u12 Phoenix): Do you have a routine of what food you eat and what you do in preparation for a match?
Maja: I have no specific routine. I just don’t eat three hours before the game and after the game I always have a proper steak!
Sophie: I always eat before the game so I’m fully fuelled! Normally scrambled egg on toast
Eliot: I always eat a banana before a game! Have to keep my calves happy!
Annie: I normally try to eat scrambled eggs on toast before I play, or sometimes pancakes. I usually see how I feel on the day and decide between the two! I like to listen to some music on the way in the car to motivate myself.
Rachel: I usually have scrambled eggs on toast and a cuppa at about 11am. Kicking off at 1:30pm always makes it awkward with when to eat!
Hannah: On a match day I tend to eat a bowl of porridge when I get up and then I’ll have a banana either right before I leave or when I get to where we’re playing. I’ve found it to be a really good combo to make sure I’ve got energy without feeling too full
Jade: I usually eat my Weetabix and a banana for slow release energy and sometimes a berocca for some extra vitamins and energy.
Question from Elizabeth Pilkington (u13 Bobcats): Which of your current teammates are you closest to on and off the pitch and why are they special to you?
Maja: All the girls I treat the same way. They’re all close to me and, like I say all the time, it’s the best team I’ve played for so far. You feel appreciated here and supported all the time.
Sophie: Playing in defence I always think it’s important to have a good relationship with the other defenders, particularly a centre back pairing. You need to know you’ve got each-others’ backs when you make mistakes and celebrate when you get clean sheets!
Eliot: I get along with all my teammates really but, if I had to choose I’d say Tash (Allderidge). When I joined the team and started in centre midfield she and I had to be connected and work together. And off the pitch it helps a lot that our partners get along as well!
Annie: I would probably say I’m quite close to Summer (Evans) the most out of the girls. When we first started playing we played up front together and we formed a friendship that has lasted ever since, she’s a special friend to have as I know she will always be there for me when I need her, on and off the pitch!
Rachel: I wouldn’t say there’s one person in particular, I get on with everyone really well. I think we’re a close-knit team who get along well. The morale is always high on and off the pitch!
Hannah: I’ve known our captain, Tash, since we were about nine years old. We met through Pride Park and ended up going to the same secondary school so it feels like we’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. There’s a few of us that have been together since we were a junior team and it’s really special to have all those shared memories and to still be playing football together
Jade: As a goalkeeper, I tend to be quite isolated from the rest of the team due to the nature of the position. This means generally I’m not very close to anyone on the pitch. Growing up me and Bleu used to play against each other at a junior level and then played five aside every Saturday with a group of school friends so I’d say I’m probably closest with her.
Question from Lucy Topps (u13 Bobcats): Do you have any superstitions?
Maja: Oh, yes. That’s the secret I was talking about before. Should I say it? Never shave your legs the day before the game! I said it! Done!
Sophie: Maja would tell us not to shave our legs the day before a game
Eliot: If I or a teammate say anything that could jinx the outcome of the game, I will make people knock on wood – or my head – immediately!
Annie: I’m very superstitious, I always have to put my left boot on before my right one otherwise I think it’s bad luck! It’s strange because I’m not even left footed, I think it’s just become a routine and maybe once I did it with my right foot and we probably lost, so never again since then!
Rachel: Going to the loo before the match!!
Hannah: I’m not very superstitious but I think one of my teammates is. After we’ve done the main warm up, she has a fairly long routine of static stretches she likes to do to make sure she’s ready
Jade: I don’t have any superstitions really but sweets for halftime are a must!
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