Three County FA Development Officers and nine Young Leaders make their way to South Africa promoting women’s football.
Whilst the World’s attention is focused on men’s football this summer, in the run up to the World Cup 2010, Emily Toase, Gemma Thomas and Polly Fildes, Football Development Officers (FDOs) from North Riding, East Riding and Birmingham County FAs will accompany nine Young Leaders travelling to South Africa for a trip of life time, promoting not men’s but women’s football.
A unique partnership between York-based FA International Partner, Coaching for Hope, and the British Council, will see a Women’s Leadership through Football programme delivered in South Africa from 3rd -12th May 2010.
Delivering grassroots soccer activites and workshops, the project aims to use FDOs from North Riding, East Riding and Birmingham County FAs and two national coaches to train young leaders from the FA and from schools in Durban and Cape Town. The leaders will learn how to deliver mixed football skills sessions that will engage and challenge both girls and boys with varied ability and skill level. These workshops will also include discussion sessions on women’s issues in football including gender stereotyping, homophobic behaviour and gender equality.
The schools involved are linked to programmes delivered by the British Council and Coaching for Hope’s partners, in particular Orphans and Vulnerable Children which deal with children impacted by HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and poverty. There will also be opportunity to play in friendly football matches against Durban and Cape Town based women’s football teams.
Among the nine young leaders selected are Megan Bramham, Josie Hewson and Helen Winterburn from the North Yorkshire Centre of Excellence. The three were selected based on their commitment and dedication to the female game, to their own development and for the excellent progress they have been making at the Centre.
North Yorkshire Girls Centre Director Gail Colling “is absolutely delighted that 3 young ladies from the North Yorkshire Centre of Excellence have been selected to participate in this fantastic opportunity. The girls who have all played their football at a very high standard have portrayed an immense amount of commitment & dedication to their sport. They work extremely hard, not only in their own personal development but also in conveying the message of exemplary role models in the female game. They are all fine examples of young ladies who encourage & enthused affection for the game with their ultimate goal of being successful in football, being it playing, officiating, teaching or developing.
I know the opportunity offered to these young ladies will be an experience they will never forget, they will gain invaluable life skills, & promote females in sport to its highest level.”
Megan Bramham commented on the trip: “I still cant believe I have been given the opportunity to fly out to South Africa, the whole trip is just going to be amazing and I hope I will be able to use what I see and learn and take this experience into my future in football”.
A return visit is also planned for next year where several Young Leaders form South Africa will travel to England to participate in further workshops to complete the exchange and consolidate the British Councils’ Connecting Classrooms programme.
The South Africa trip highlights the fantastic opportunities now available to young women who wish to pursue a career in football. Through the FA Young Leaders and Girls Centre of Excellence programme there is increasingly more opportunity to get into coaching, playing and referee in football or working in football development.
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