Join our Female Coaching Pathway!

Blackpool FC Community Trust (BFCCT) are delighted to announce that we have been successful in two FA funding applications. These will enhance our FA Girls Emerging Talent Centre (ETC) and diversify our coaching workforce.

Female Coaching Pathway – Free Football Coaching Qualifications and Mentoring

Through funding from the FA, we are creating the opportunity for ten female coaches to gain their first coaching qualification in Football or Futsal paid for by Blackpool FC Community Trust. Coaches must be 16+ to be considered for the FA Football course and 14+ for the FA Futsal course. The Female Coaching Pathway is open to coaches of all abilities. As the number of female players and teams has dramatically increased over recent years, we are aware of the imbalance in female coaches. Our local grassroots league has 759 coaches registered, of the 759 only 32 are female, that’s 4%. We aim to increase opportunities for female coaches to strive to reach their potential in the coaching landscape and become trailblazers for the players they train. We will lead a networking group allowing new female coaches to connect, share ideas and resources, and help each other through the highs and lows of coaching.

Over the next few weeks, we will launch phase one of our Female Coaching Pathway, by opening our expression of interest portal, allowing us to identify coaches, conduct an initial assessment, measure their experience and provide advice. Suitable candidates will be invited into our coaching environment to observe, shadow and support our experienced ETC and Academy coaches.

In phase two we will select ten coaches (who have already completed the EE Playmaker course) and pay for their Introduction to Coaching Football or National Futsal Course.

To conclude the final phase, we have outlined 25 hours of paid delivery that we will designate to members of the Female Coaching Pathway. Successful candidates will become employed to coach across multiple formats to help enhance their knowledge. During this time there will also be voluntary opportunities for further development.

 

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Masterclass Events

This alongside three CPD masterclass events will provide experienced coaches and players with the opportunity to share their knowledge with female coaches of all levels. Guests will have a chance to discuss their aims as coaches, and what barriers they face whilst being informed of local coaching opportunities.

 

Varied Games Programme – New Futsal Sessions

Our second successful funding application will allow us to create a more varied games programme that our ETC players and associated groups can utilise. We are aware of how complimenting Futsal can be to the development of our female players and after securing access to a new local indoor facility we are now able to create a training and games programme for our elite female players. At FA events we have witnessed how the introduction of music builds excitement and ‘power plays’ intensify the competitive edge while refining a focus on game management. This is something we intend to replicate in our new sessions. This funding will also allow us to reduce the financial/time burden of travel for our local ETC players as we expand our home fixture programme. Working with our partners at Blackpool Council we can increase our games programme across 3v3, 5v5, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 formats. Home fixtures also increase the opportunity for us to engage more local grassroots teams and scout local talent.

 

Andy Aspinall, Female Football Manager at BFCCT said,

“This funding is fantastic for our ETC programme and promising female coaches. We are looking forward to working with enthusiastic coaches who would like to develop and gain experience alongside our qualified coaches. Introducing Futsal to the ETC groups will add another dimension to our ETC games programme and help develop numerous transferable characteristics which will only improve the players involved.”

 

To register your interest in our Female Coaching Pathway, with access to free coaching courses, personal development, volunteering and mentoring opportunities please complete this form.

 

For more information on our Female Coaching Pathway and our FA Girls’ Emerging Talent Centre please contact femalefootball@bfcct.co.uk