Academy column: Why it's important our young players know about Hillsborough

April 15, 1989 is a day that everyone connected with Liverpool Football Club and indeed Merseyside will never forget.

It was the day that Liverpool supporters went to a football match and never came home. We can’t forget it, we shouldn’t forget it and we never will.

At the Academy, we have players putting on the red shirt from a very young age – from pre-academy at U6 level through to the U21s.

Obviously none of the players were born when this dreadful day occurred but some will have heard about it and read about it. We feel as a club it’s so important that our young players know what Hillsborough means and why we will never forget it.

One thing is learning on the pitch the skills that are going to be required to get to a certain level – hopefully with our first team but if not, to forge a career in the game.

But I think one thing that is important to understand is the fabric that lies with the club and events that have taken place over the years that are really important.

Each time the boys pull on that red shirt, they have got the 97 stitched onto the shirts. It’s important when they do that they have an insight into the tragic events that took place on that day, and an appreciation of what it means to the football club and the people connected with it.

I was a young player myself at Liverpool when the events took place at Hillsborough.

I had signed in November 1988 and that was my first season at the club, and even though I was only a young boy, the events at Hillsborough really hit me and I remember the impact it had on my family.

My brother is an Evertonian and he was at the other semi-final that day when Everton played at Villa Park. I remember my mum being really upset by it. It could have been any football club what happened at Hillsborough.

As I’ve grown working for this club and with the lessons I’ve had here over the years, I just think it’s really important the boys have the education on this each year to appreciate the sad and tragic events that took place at Hillsborough.

We got together with our head of education Caitlin Hawkins and put together a series of events ahead of the 34th anniversary of the tragedy. Caitlin is brilliant and works tirelessly to help give our young players the best education they could possibly get off the pitch.

On Friday, myself and Phil Charnock took our U12 age group to Anfield as we paid our respects at the Hillsborough Memorial, laying a wreath.

The boys later received education about the disaster and heard a poignant talk from a Hillsborough survivor. They listened carefully, they were so respectful and were genuinely moved.

My daughter Devon also re-recorded her incredibly moving Hillsborough poem to include the 97 which the boys heard during our presentation. We then took the squad to Sheffield for a tournament, where we also visited the memorial at the stadium itself and laid a wreath there.

That also brought home the message to them and then they played seven-v-seven and eight-v-eight games against Sheffield Wednesday at their academy.

John Thompson, our U10s coach, organised a similar event at the Academy, when teams from the U9, U10 and U11 age groups played in a four-team tournament in Kirkby on Friday that involved sides representing Liverpool, Everton, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest.

Off the pitch, the young players from each club received education at the AXA Training Centre about the disaster that unfolded at Hillsborough.

They listened to an inspiring address from Margaret Aspinall, former chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, who lost her 18-year-old son James, accompanied by our club chaplain Bill Bygroves. Margaret is a true inspiration and her strength is incredible, as are all of the Hillsborough families.

It’s so important that we create lots of educational opportunities for our young players so we can help them grow as people, as well as young talented footballers.

The Academy is such a fantastic environment for our players and on a personal level I’m very proud to have given what will be 33 years of service this coming pre-season and counting to the club I love.

I’ve been coaching now for 22 years at the Academy and I was there as a player for 10 years from the age of eight. I’m very fortunate and feel privileged to have spent the time I have with some great people here at the club. Anyone that has crossed our path and been part of this football club for a long time will know it’s a very special place.

Recently we took the U12 to U13 group to the Netherlands for a tournament and we managed to win it, which was fantastic for the boys.

We were up against teams including West Ham United, Rangers, Mechelen and a number of Belgian Premier League teams. It was split into two groups over three days and we managed to beat Mechelen in the final and win 1-0 courtesy of a last-minute winner.

I know it’s great to win these tournaments because this club is all about winning, but it’s also an opportunity to travel and also educate the boys on how to travel, because they are representing Liverpool Football Club.

It’s about standards and standards all the way. So when you are travelling and you have got that crest on, everybody is looking at you, they want to know what you are doing and how you are doing, the way you communicate with different people and staff at the airport, on the plane and in the hotel.

It’s fantastic we get this opportunity to take the boys away and when you are three days away from home together, we can educate them on the importance of good habits which will stand them in good stead for the future.

So while it’s great to win these tournaments, I think there are a lot more wins than winning a trophy.

Mike Yates was speaking to Liverpoolfc.com's Steve Hunter