Aa part of National Thank a Teacher Day on 18 June, professional footballer Ella Powell talks about the important role played by teachers at the beginning of her career.
Ella:
I'm a professional footballer and I play for my country. Growing up in Cardiff has been lush. To be honest, the heart of the country really sort of feel my patriotism grow as I grew up here. I loved my time in school, you know. And I would 100% prioritise working hard. You know, while you're young and you can reap the rewards when you're older. It did get tough sometimes when my career started to get more demanding and sort of balancing that with school and my friends and I did find as well that the staff there at the school really did support my journey as well, and what I was trying to achieve. So they kind of gave me a lot of flexibility to do that. You know, of course, my friends always wanted to be social and go out, and that was always something that I wanted to be a part of. But I had training in the rain on a Thursday night.
Kim:
And you touched on your teachers as well being supportive. Was there anyone in particular that really, you know, cheered you on?
Ella:
Yeah, I mean, naturally, I sort of gravitated towards my PE teachers in particular. I remember Mrs. Atkins, Mrs. Woods, they were always sort of pushing me in in their natural teacher's state, as well, making sure I was working hard at school and making sure I had backup plans as well. So it's never just like, go on, like be free. Chase your dream. It was always like, right? Make sure you're doing your homework and you get your exams done as well.
Kim:
It sounds like you had a very supportive environment around you. Do you feel like that time at school and growing up in Cardiff kind of prepared you for what was to come?
Ella:
I think so, yeah, because it did teach me that I had to be disciplined, but also to enjoy it as well. And I think the thing is, I had a lot of fun in school, and people always made me feel good about pursuing the things I wanted to pursue. And I sort of felt like people knowing I was doing that made me want to push more towards it as well, and sort of give back to them and show them that their support was, you know, justified.
Kim:
For anyone watching this that thinks 'I would like to have a career in the same way that Ella has', what would your advice be?
Ella:
I think my advice to kids coming through is always just work as hard as you can. The type of player that I am, I've never really been the most skilful, the sort of one scoring all the goals. Like, I'm a fullback, nobody really cares about fullbacks, you know? But I've always just worked hard and I've always just tried to be the player on the pitch that is giving their all, and it's kind of got me to where I am today, to be honest, and it's sort of something that I pride myself on. And as we talked about the sacrifices I made growing up, I would do it all over again because of where I'm at now and these amazing experiences that I get to live, and it might not feel like there is going to always be an outcome because I genuinely didn't ever know if I was gonna, you know, 'make it'. I just kind of kept going and, you know, wanted to see what happened. Could have gone worse.
Kim:
Since school then, you've gone on and had quite the career, obviously played for Cardiff City Ladies, you went over to America, you're at Bristol City at the moment. Do you think little Ella would have been pleased with how things have gone?
Ella:
Absolutely. Little Ella would have just been happy with the fact she had one cap for Wales, to be honest. So the fact that I've gone on to go to these amazing places like America, that was an absolutely amazing experience and I learned so much. I grew up so fast. But to go on and even just say that I'm a professional footballer. Wow, that's the dream there, growing up I knew that I wanted that. Did I think it was achievable? I'm not so sure. I was just kind of going to training every week. I was just kind of playing the game and wherever I ended up was wherever I ended up. But the fact that I can sit here now, today and say, "I'm a professional footballer and I play for my country", there's nothing else that I could ever have asked for when I was growing up.
She talks about growing up in Cardiff and the difficulties of balancing the demands of becoming a footballer with school work and socialising with friends. The support and flexibility offered by her school was vital, especially by her PE teachers Mrs. Atkins and Mrs. Woods. They offered encouragement whilst also emphasizing the importance of academics and having a backup plan.
It did teach me that I had to be disciplined, but also to enjoy it as well.”
– Ella Powell
This experience taught Ella to be disciplined and the positive support she received at school motivated her even more to pursue her dreams. She emphasizes the value of hard work over natural talent, noting that as a fullback—often an underappreciated position—her success came from consistent effort and dedication.
To aspiring athletes, Ella advises working hard and staying committed, even when the outcome is uncertain. Reflecting on her career, which includes playing for Cardiff City Ladies, studying and playing in America, and currently being with Bristol City, she expresses pride and gratitude.
She believes that her younger self would be thrilled with how far she has come, especially achieving the dream of playing professionally and representing Wales.
Celebrating National Thank a Teacher Day. document
National Thank a Teacher Day 2025 is a chance to celebrate schools, colleges, teachers and support staff across the country.
Teacher Support Articles. collection
A curated collection of articles written by teachers and experts, providing practical support and insights on a wide range of topics.
Teacher Guide to Moodboosters. document
ideas and tips on how Moodboosters' videos can inspire primary school pupils to get moving for mental health and wellbeing.
