England Football Learning honours International Women’s Day through series of Female Coach Development Events
Throughout the month of March, to honour International Women’s Day, England Football Learning hosted a series of coaching development events for their network of female coaches. FA Coach Development Officer’s Sharon Muxworthy and Stacey Miles conceptualised the sessions and worked with various County Football Associations (CFAs) across the country to facilitate sessions catered towards female coaches in the regions, celebrating their successes and developing their skillsets.
A total of 15 regional events took place across 17 CFAs – from Cornwall to Northumberland – bringing together at total of 251 aspiring and experienced female coaches for hands-on learning and opportunities to share knowledge and experiences. Activities included match observations, such as Charlton vs. London City Lionesses, alongside practical and theoretical workshops designed to equip coaches with tools to better support female players.
Coaches from England Football Learning’s Women’s Coach Development Group had access to these inspiring opportunities. But it’s not just International Women’s Day that this group come together, they operate year-round, providing a network of female coaches to share experiences and coaching stories as well as access to specific development workshops across the year, both face-to-face and online.
So far this season, England Football Learning have supported the growth hundreds of female coaches with 300 women having completed the Stepping Over the Sidelines Programme, as well as 302 female coaches who have been supported as part of the grassroots development groups
As part of the International Women’s Day events, England Football Learning also supported The Powerhouse Project’s International Women’s Day kick-off event for their newest cohort of 34 female coaches began their UEFA B Licence prep programme. England Football support the project alongside other partners, bringing different elements and learning opportunities that help develop them as people and coaches.
Every day, England Football Learning champion females within coaching, but days like International Women’s Day provide an opportunity to celebrate these amazing coaches and the work they put in every day to progress the women’s game. These events show that opportunities exist for women and that there is space for them in football.
Samantha Griffiths, Regional Coach Development Officer and head coach of Derby County Womensaid: “They need to see people that look like them and understand some of the things that they might be going through. I think that having that female role model is really important for these coaches’ development.”
Rebecca Garlick, National Coach Development Lead, Women & Girlssaid: “International Women’s Day is one of my favourite days of the year, it’s so nice to be surrounded by people who support you, pick you up when you need it, and value you being you.”
To learn more about England Football Learning’s Female Coach Development Opportunities, click here
