Teams have been advised to use Mauritius Sports and Jays Youth as examples of what new clubs can aspire to in girls’ football within the County’s five London Boroughs as the Essex County FA looks back on another 4v4 Festival at Redbridge, avoiding the freezing conditions by hosting the event indoors.
Ten teams from seven different clubs attended in January at Redbridge College in Chadwell Heath, with seven of the sides representing Essex’s London Boroughs. Work with clubs in the local area has resulted in Under 9s and 10s girls’ teams being developed and the festival was put in place to provide them with an enjoyable experience in a non-competitive environment. Up to 50 girls played round-robin games and every child was provided with a certificate of attendance as well as an ECFA goody bag.
Sharon’s efforts to raise participation in the region have involved working alongside the Essex County Girls’ League to inaugurate their Under 10s division nearby, which is in its second season and has allowed children to play localised football. “We’re working really hard within the London Boroughs to help increase the number of teams so girls have the opportunity to access one local to them, creating as many exit routes as possible,” explained the ECFA’s Girls’ & Women’s Football Development Officer.
Clubs such as Mauritius and Jays have embraced the idea of starting new teams and, as a result, there are more participants every time they attend ECFA events. This gives Sharon great heart for the future, adding: “Mauritius and Jays started out via a School-Club Link and had limited numbers for the first few months. With huge support from these clubs and their volunteers both teams are thriving and it looks as though Jays will be joining the Under 10s division next season which, for us, is a huge positive.”
For this particular event, Sharon was delighted to welcome clubs from as far afield as Writtle Minors in Chelmsford which was further evidence of the emergence of the format that helps new and emerging teams take part in festivals even if they have limited squad numbers. The development of Under 9s and 10s players and teams has gathered pace as a result as players get more touches of the ball and are constantly involved, which could lead to enhanced numbers playing affiliated football in the future.
Increasing team figures would be an ideal result of the extensive coaching in schools and ‘Central Venue Leagues’ recently completed, though a boost in the number of girls in these teams is of equal priority according to the ECFA. “It’s important to create this non-competitive environment because, for most of them, this will be their first taste of the game,” Sharon summarised. “If they receive a bad experience it may decide their future involvement. Children just want to play, the only people who keep scores are the adults. The key is to make sure they enjoy themselves so they’ll be back for more!”
To find out where and when the next 4v4 festival is taking place near you in Essex and it’s London Boroughs, please contact Sharon Brownlie by phone on (01245) 393074 or via E-Mail at [email protected] In addition, a great deal of information on getting into female football can be found at the Essex County Football Association’s Website, www.essexfa.com.
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