Inspiring children to consider a career in sports journalism.
William Ford C of E Junior School was delighted to welcome Amar Mehta, sports journalist for Sky Sports News, to speak with pupils as part of our ongoing programme of careers talks.
Over recent months we have welcomed visitors from a wide range of industries including entertainment, cookery, politics, education technology, business, the performing arts and even the world of magic. However, we had not yet explored many careers connected to sport.
With many young people believing that a career in sport simply means becoming a professional athlete, Amar’s visit opened pupils’ eyes to the many different opportunities that exist within the sporting world.
Amar spoke about his work as a sports journalist, explaining how he reports on major sporting stories and interviews leading footballers. Pupils were fascinated to hear about the famous players he has spoken to and what it is like working both on camera and behind the scenes in sports media.
Alongside the excitement of his career, Amar also spoke honestly about his own journey. He shared his experiences of education in another country and explained how he was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 21.
Rather than allowing this to limit his ambitions, Amar spoke about how persistence, determination and hard work helped him pursue the career he had always dreamed of.
His message to pupils was clear. If you want to work in journalism, strong skills in subjects such as English and maths are essential, but just as important is the determination to keep working towards your goals even when challenges arise.
For many pupils, particularly those who experience neurodivergence such as dyslexia, this was a powerful reminder that challenges do not have to define a person’s future. In many cases they can help develop resilience, creativity and different ways of thinking that are highly valuable in the workplace.
We are extremely grateful to Amar for giving his time to visit our school, inspire our pupils and introduce them to a career they may never previously have considered.