Two seasons in as kit sponsor for the Hessle Rangers U10 girls, and I've learned something.
They turn up.
Rain hammering down at 9am on a Saturday. Wind coming sideways off the Humber. Mud everywhere. They're there. Kit on, ready to go.
Not a Marketing Decision
We sponsor the team because they're local and because youth sport matters. That's it, really.
When we made the decision two years ago, it wasn't part of some community engagement strategy. Catherine saw the team needed support, and we were in a position to help. Done.
What I didn't expect was what we'd get back.
What They've Figured Out
These are 9 and 10-year-olds learning to work as a team in real time. You can see it happening - the girl who's worked out she's better at passing than scoring, so that's what she does. The one who's learned to call for the ball when she's got space. The defender who's stopped diving in because she's realised staying on her feet works better.
They're figuring out commitment. Reliability. Showing up even when it's miserable outside.
That's not nothing.
Why It Matters to Us
I spend most of my week thinking about workplace safety and compliance. Drug and alcohol screening policies. Random testing protocols. Management awareness training.
All of it comes down to the same thing, really - people doing what they said they'd do. Turning up. Being reliable when it matters.
Watching a group of young girls learn that on a football pitch in Hessle on a Saturday morning? Puts things in perspective.
The Actual Hard Work
The coaches have turned up every week for two seasons. Planned the training. Managed the matches. Dealt with the weather and the logistics and everything else that comes with running a youth team.
The parents have done the early mornings, the muddy kit, the lifts to away games, the snacks, the encouragement.
We've provided some kit with our name on it.
Fair to say we've had the easier job.
See You Next Season
The girls are wrapping up their season now. They've learned more than they probably realise about teamwork and commitment - things that matter off the pitch.
Supporting local youth sport isn't complicated. It's just the right thing to do when you're part of a community in East Yorkshire.
The Rangers get their kit. We get reminded that not everything needs a strategy or a metric or a five-year plan.
Well done to the team, the coaches, and the parents who've done the actual work this season.
See you next year.
Lemon Cherry has been proud to sponsor Hessle Rangers U10 Girls since 2024. We're based in East Yorkshire, and we provide drug and alcohol screening services to businesses across the region and nationwide.
