Female Coach Development
To develop a mentoring programme to increase the number of female football coaches at grassroots level and to sustain girls' participation in the game
About You
Contact Information
Title
Miss
First name
Jo
Last name
McKenzie
Your job title
This field has not been completed
Name of your organization
London Playing Fields Foundation
Organization type
Charity
Annual budget/currency
This field has not been completed
Location
Project Street Address
304 Shooters Hill Road
Project City
London
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
SE18 4LT
Project Country
United Kingdom
Your idea
Choose your sport: (check all that apply)
Soccer/Football
If you chose "other" for Sport, please define in 1-2 words below
What approach does your initiative incorporate?
Services
Year the initiative began (yyyy)
2008
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If your project has a website, paste the web address here:
Plot your innovation within the discovery framework:
Barrier
Girls internalize cultural stereotypes
Insight
Make the first step easier
This field has not been completed. (333 words or less)
Name Your Project
Female Coach Development
Describe Your Idea
To develop a mentoring programme to increase the number of female football coaches at grassroots level and to sustain girls' participation in the game
Innovation
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence?
To develop a mentoring programme to increase the number of female football coaches at grassroots level and to sustain girls' participation in the game
How many people does your innovation serve or plan to serve? Exactly who will benefit?
The project will qualify a minimum of 36 Level 2 female coaches over a 3 year period. In addition the project will provide free places on Level 1 courses for 30 female coaches per year. A parallel girl’s mini soccer programme will also provide the first introduction to football for girls, delivered in a fun and supportive environment. It is estimated that 2,500 girls will be involved in the programme. The project therefore benefits both players and coaches London-wide.
Do you have any existing partnerships? If so, please list and describe.
All successful social inclusion projects are partnership based as it is through a multi agency approach that the wider benefits can be realised. As a small charity The London Playing Fields Foundation has a successful track record of working collaboratively with a range of partners to deliver projects that use the power of sport to improve lives. Working in partnership ensures that a joined up approach is adopted with clear exit routes for participants. Female Coach Development is managed by a Steering Group comprising partners from the local County Football Associations, London Football Coaches Association, Women’s Sport & Fitness Foundation and Selkent League. The combined expertise of the partners enabled the design and implementation of a comprehensive mentoring programme. Through working in partnership we have ensured that the project is linked in to additional opportunities to access further funding, to reach new target groups and to provide additional benefits.
In which sector do these partners work? (Check all that apply)
Citizen sector (non profits, NGOs) , Private sector .
How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing?
In order to overcome the barriers faced by women seeking to become qualified football coaches, the project revolves around a mentoring programme. A five week preparatory course provides an introduction to coaching methodology and gets the participants ready for the demands of the formal Level 2 Certificate course. Mentoring continues through the course of training into the distance elements where participants have to produce a record of 16 hours coaching. Finally the mentors provide advice, guidance and support in the mock and final assessment components of the course. Once qualified, assistance will be provided in ensuring that the new coach is attached to a local club where the qualification can be put to good use.
Impact
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact
The project will demonstrate how the number of qualified female coaches can be increased and how participation of teenage girls can be sustained.
What does impact/success look like? Please list any tangible measures of the impact of your innovation
The project has only been running for three months and therefore it is too early to evaluate the impact of the project. However, the first group of female coaches attended a preparatory course and successfully completed the training element of their Level 2 Certificate. The feedback from the coaches showed that they found the mentoring sessions invaluable in preparing for the Level 2 course.
Is there a chance that your project could change policy (within an institution or government)?
Nationally the number of qualified female coaches is low and the Football Association is watching the project with great interest with a view to using FCD as a model of best practice in other parts of the country.
Aside from financial sustainability, how do you plan to grow the initiative or expand your intended impact?
The intention is to produce a template that can be replicated elsewhere and the extension of the project will be concerned with the development of a toolkit and the promotion of FCD in other parts of London.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)?
The three year project receives funding from public and corporate sectors.
Financing source
Annual budget
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Annual revenue generated
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Number of staff (full-time, part-time, volunteers)
The project currently employs a part-time Girls Mini Soccer Co-ordinator, a Coach Development Manager and two Mentors.
What are the main barriers to financing your initiative, and how do you plan to address these barriers?
Applying for funding is very competitive. We will meet this challenge by applying to a number of funders for smaller amounts rather than one large grant.
What are the major challenges with regards to partnerships?
Initiating and sustaining partnerships is key to the success of the project. Working in partnership is a way to ensure that there is no duplication of services and for partners to benefit from links created through the project. In order to facilitate this, LPFF has formed a Steering Group comprised of partners which oversees the delivery of the project and provides a forum for the sharing of information and ideas as well as a means of monitoring progress.
The Story
What stage is your project?
Ongoing project .
What was the motivation or defining moment that led to create this innovation? Tell us the story.
London Playing Fields Foundation recognizes that playing fields are more than parcels of open space; they are about helping local people to be more active so that their physical, mental and social wellbeing is enhanced. LPFF has therefore established a number of social inclusion projects to afford under-represented groups access to playing opportunities. From 2002 LPFF ran a successful five year mini soccer programme which gave girls their first introduction to football through informal coaching sessions and an internal mini soccer league. Once the girls had gained experience and confidence they were formed into teams and were linked to a local club participating in a local league. However, of the thirty-eight girls’ teams created over this period none were coached by a female. In order to keep these girls engaged in the game it was apparent that female coaches would be key to providing both a sympathetic coaching environment and a strong role model. After consulting with the Football Association, leading clubs and local partners the concept of a mentoring programme was developed to target grassroots female coaches.
Please tell us about the social innovator behind this initiative
Alex Welsh, London Playing Fields Foundation’s Chief Executive, has developed several projects which have engaged “hard to reach groups” in physical activity. Working for the Foundation for twenty years, Alex has linked with local agencies to ensure the sustainable delivery of projects for women and girls, groups from BAME communities and adults with mental ill health. These projects have always been at the vanguard of sports development and Alex’s vision and commitment have ensured their success.
(Optional) To be eligible for an additional prize, please select age range
22 – 26
 | 175 weeks agoRenata Affonso said: Hello Katherine, Congratulations to LPFF on its entry and work! I will keep checking progress on your website. I would like to ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 175 weeks agoJo McKenzie said: Hi Steve, Research shows that girls are more likely to stay involved with the game if they have positive role models as coaches. This ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 175 weeks agoJo McKenzie said: Hi Dan, Thanks for your comments. Initially we made links with football clubs and the London and South East Girls' Centre of ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 176 weeks agoStephen Byars said: I appreciate that encouraging more women to serve as football coaches has two principle benefits, LPFF: It enhances the credibility of ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 176 weeks agoDaniel Burrows said: Hi, An excellent project, it really identifies an issue facing the development of female coaches and the subsequent impact on the ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 181 weeks agoJo McKenzie submitted this idea. |
