Manisha coaching.
retained a love for football after his breakdown. In 2011, a series of events and circumstances led to Manisha taking a decision about what her future, and a step into the unknown.
Her mother had health issues, Manisha faced a gruelling daily commute, she was completing a Masters in leadership, and she continued to care for her brother. She says: “There was a lot going on and that year triggered my career change, which sees me working in football. Alongside my football career, I continue my passion for education, equality, diversity and inclusion. That lends itself to why I found Dream Like Me to be particularly important.”
After each person’s story there are a series of questions and talking points to trigger discussions – the book is aimed at school settings. These discussions include looking at how people overcome challenges, feelings, identifying strengths – building empathy and a better understanding of resilience and how to use it.
Manisha says she was keen to develop this aspect of the book to help readers discover more about themselves, as well as about the figures in the book. She says: “One of the things I always wondered as a teacher was why children from diverse backgrounds could not see themselves in books. Through my experience as a young carer, I also thought about the impact on mental health and wellbeing. When I became a teacher at 21, I realised
22 PEN&INC.
how important it was for children to be able to talk about their feelings and their emotions – back then it wasn’t as important as it is now in schools. “With Dream Like Me, I felt that it was an opportunity to ensure representation for young people, and that was a key reason for writing the book. Obviously, I have a passion and love for football, and I wanted to use that as a way to allow the voices in the book to be heard – to give them this platform to share their stories with young people.
“It was also important for me to include this educational element and making it a book that was not just about football but about careers and transferable skills. So, we talk about how these people have got to the top of their game in various disciplines across the industry. It’s about the tools that they have to develop and build in order to overcome challenges. It also provides lessons in good mental health and wellbeing.”
In many ways the book comes full circle in terms of Manisha’s career and personal journey. It draws on her personal experiences as well as her professional life in football, teaching, and coaching. She says: “I want young people to see that there are people like them in these roles and who are doing well, but also to appreciate that there are challenges to get to where they are. And perhaps those challenges, and how they are overcome, are things that readers can learn from.”
Manisha Tailor.
The case-studies in Dream Like Me were carefully chosen and Manisha says: “I was very clear in what I wanted readers to get from the book. I had a set of questions that I asked to each of the contributors, and I was very strategic about what I wanted to uncover. “I was also clear that I wanted to look at different disciplines within the industry to highlight those different opportunities. We have a football agent and someone who sits on the board, to sports scientists, coaches, and broadcast
Spring-Summer 2023
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