Amateur footballers in Bath are losing weight and improving their mental health thanks to weekly football and lifestyle coaching sessions.
Amateur footballers from MAN v FAT Football Bath | Photo © Man v Fat / Photerior Ltd 2024
The MAN v FAT Football Bath initiative helps overweight and obese men to get fit and adopt healthy lifestyle choices.
It has helped local men lose 255 pounds of excess weight in the last year.
Sessions take place every Monday evening at Kingswood School Upper Sports Field and Pavilion, Lansdown Road and is run in partnership with Bath City Football Club Foundation.
At MAN v FAT Football sessions, players are weighed, before battling it out on the pitch where the results from matches combine with a player’s individual weight loss throughout a week, to contribute to an overall league table.
The programme doesn’t just focus on losing weight, with the men taking part also discovering its mental health benefits, while creating new friendships.
The club is looking for more players to join its squads, information about how to sign-up can be found at: www.manvfatfootball.org/Bath
Chris Gannon at Bath City FC Foundation, who runs sessions at the club said: “Getting to know the players and seeing the progress they are making both on and off the pitch is the best thing about coaching these players.
“Seeing their confidence grow in different aspects of their lives, it could be being more social, taking up new hobbies or the way they play on the pitch.
“The friendship and support created in the teams is something a lot wouldn’t expect when they sign up. I think they would agree it helps their mental wellbeing as much as their physical.
“Now we have secured a quality, year-round facility I would like to see the league grow to six teams and have an increased presence in the MAN v FAT network.
“It would be great to send a team to the national tournament this coming year and to have an 11-a-side team form again.”
In addition to football sessions, MAN v FAT players also receive off-the-pitch support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.
Players also get full access to MAN v FAT online gym, so they can train in their own time at home.
