Winner of the Best Children's Lockdown Award - viral video soccer star, Bobby Bonner
CHILDREN'S AWARD - Bobby Bonner, Navan
During the pandemic young people stepped up to the plate too, displaying resilience and an admirable strength of character. One of those was nine-year-old Bobby Bonner.
His dad Billy Bonner, a soccer coach with Parkvilla FC in Navan, recalled chatting to Bobby one day and the youngster outlining how he had noticed how there was no-one offering full half-hour soccer training sessions on-line for kids to follow.
So Bobby stepped up to the mark and decided to do something about it himself using his considerable skills as a 'Tech Kid' and his tremendous interest in soccer. Bobby said that with some help he would he would present half-hour sessions to local youngsters twice a week live on Facebook.
Not only that he would create his very own You Tube Channel to show the videos on. So he set about solving the practical problems involved in turning his theories into practice. "To say I was stunned at this idea is an understatement!" said his proud dad Billy.
The sessions were put together by Billy with big brother Callum also helping to coach the sessions and they were broadcast on the social media networks. Throughout lockdown for a 10-week period Bobby presented 20, 30 to 40 minute sessions, twice a week (every Tuesday and Friday, 6pm) to kids within the safety of their own home or garden, online and live. It was a great way to keep the team, the club, the community together.
The training sessions were constructed in such a way they were always within a two-metre square area, ensuring all kids could join in, even if they had no outdoor space. The 21 videos Bobby put together had around 15,000 views on the Parkvilla Facebook page. Bobby showed a tremendous commitment to the project throughout, helping to keep kids fit who were at home with nowhere to go. For such a contribution Bobby Bonner gets the overall Children's award.
Well done Billy!
Thanks to everyone who nominated friends, family, groups and communities for the first and (hopefully last) Meath Chronicle Lockdown Awards.
Thanks also to our wonderful sponsors who got behind the initiative: Meath Co Council, Utmost, Ecomm, Alltech and SuperValu.