Community Coach inspires St Benedict’s pupil

• Women’s player and Community Coach Kaitlin Hilton was presented with her new number at St Benedict’s alongside young fan.
• Hilton delivers P.E three times a week at the school and has served as an inspiration to the children.
• Nevaeh in Year 4 asked for Hilton on the back of her Wigan Warriors shirt ahead of the upcoming season.

Wigan Warriors Women’s player Kaitlin Hilton was presented with her new shirt number at St Benedict’s Primary in Hindley, after a Year 4 pupil was inspired by her teaching at the school.

Hilton, who plays centre for Wigan Warriors Women’s Team and serves as a Community Coach to the Wigan Warriors Community Foundation, delivers P.E three times a week at the St Benedict’s. The school say she has been an absolute inspiration to the children, emphasized by Nevaeh asking for her name on the back of a Wigan Warriors shirt.

However, with a rotation of squad numbers in the women’s team ahead of the new season, the Community Foundation decided to surprise Kaitlin with her brand new squad number alongside Nevaeh at the school.

“She’s been a real ambassador of ‘girl power’ for us and is helping us push more girls being involved in more sport.” said Michelle Ainscough, PE Co-ordinator at St Benedict’s.

“Kaitlin has worked in our school since September delivering a high quality, high-skilled PE programme to children of St Benedict’s – ranging from Y1 to Y6. All children thoroughly enjoy PE lessons with her as she makes them fun, interesting and accessible for all. As well as teaching children new skills or improving existing skills, she also works hard to educate children on important qualities such as honesty, respect and sportsmanship.

“In particular, a lot of our girls have been inspired by Kaitlin as she is showing them what girls can do and the levels they can reach, just like boys! We’re sure Kaitlin will continue to inspire our pupils in their PE lessons in the future.”

Hilton said: “I’m really honoured to see my name and number on someone else’s shirt, especially on the back of someone that I teach. The children at St. Benedict’s Primary School are a joy to teach and it’s amazing to see the impact I’ve had on them there.”

She added: “Through our continued efforts in the Community Foundation, hopefully we can highlight the Women’s game more and have more female players names on the back of shirts.”

Schools Education Manager at Wigan Warriors Community Foundation Scott Rafferty said: “We were under the impression Kaitlin’s number was going to change, we took the shirt to Kris Ratcliffe, who is the Head Coach of the Women’s Team, who gave us the green light with a new number. We managed to get it into school without Kaitlin knowing, and the shirt was then presented to Nevaeh and Kaitlin with the new number, so Nevaeh was the first person to get ‘Hilton, 2’ on the back of a shirt.

“They said about how Kaitlin is such a positive influence on them in school and they now want to get into Rugby League through her. They really enjoy the sessions, she’s someone who they look up to. It’s a real positive for us that we can be providing these experiences for the children, whether it be the men’s or women’s team, to go into school and see these people who they’re now starting to look up to are also there to deliver P.E with them as well.”

Kaitlin will be in action for the Women’s team this Sunday in their final pre-season game away at Barrow, kick-off 2pm K.O. See the full Women’s fixture list by clicking HERE.

To learn more information about the Wigan Warriors Community Foundation and Education, visit online HERE.