England Football Learning celebrates International Women's Day 2022

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, our Coach Development Team is pleased to launch a week of events taking place across the country. 

England Football Learning strives to deliver a game free from discrimination and bias, and we are working tirelessly to recruit and support a diverse coaching workforce that is representative of the game. With the significant growth of women and girls’ football in recent years, it is essential that we encourage more female role models to inspire our current and future participants. 

From 6-16 March 2022, FA PE and Coach Development Officers will be collaborating with The FA’s casual coach workforce, County FAs and other key partners to engage with females across England. To find out more about what’s happening and to get involved with an event in your area, you can discover national and regional events below. Please note that your local County FA may also be hosting additional events during this time. To find out more, visit your local County FA website here.

All bookable events can be found at the bottom of this page.

National Events

A key tactic in helping to recruit and support a diverse female workforce is to ensure we have a diverse group of coach developers delivering formal qualifications and coach development. We offer a variety of full and part-time roles and are actively seeking to engage with females who currently undertake or wish to undertake such roles in the future. We will be hosting an online event on Monday 7 March to engage and network, as well as explore the challenges females face within these roles.  

In addition, two FA Women’s High Performance Football Centre webinars will be hosted online, aimed at aspirational coaches working within the female game. One event will explore the challenges and successes of coaching in the FA Women’s National Football League (Monday 7 March), while the second will focus on the story of a Mother and Daughter journey within football (Wednesday 16 March). Find out more and book your place below. 

South  

Hampshire FA will be hosting a networking event to share their UEFA Women’s Euro legacy projects aligned to host city Southampton, while Surrey FA will host a CPD and networking event for female coaches. In addition, a Weetabix Wildcats festival will celebrate diversity with communities from Frenford FC and Little Cranfield coming together to showcase female football and coaching. 

Teachers from a local primary school will also be supported via a CPD ‘team-teach’ day as part of England Football’s ‘Let Girls Play’ biggest ever football session on 9th March.  

Finally, two ‘Women in Coaching: Knowing the Basics’ events will be hosted by London FA, Middlesex FA and Amateur FA for female coaches in partnership with 100FC. Details for all events including how to book can be found below. 

West

Birmingham FA will host a further workshop for their female coach development group, followed by a Weetabix Wildcats face-to-face CPD event titled ‘Including all with STEP’. A CPD event will also be held for female teachers at a local primary school. Find out more and book below. 

East

Milton Keynes will launch a Women’s Football Leaders programme aligned to their UEFA Women’s Euro legacy project. This will be a year-long programme, supporting up to eight young leaders towards completion of their Introduction to Coaching Football qualification through deployment within a club or Weetabix Wildcats centre. 

Epworth Forest FC will be hosting a ‘Mums into Coaching’ session, supported by their FA Community Champion, while a mini soccer session will be delivered at an existing club in Bedford aiming to grow female participation from underrepresented groups. Finally, Coach Development Officer Lee Brown will host an online discussion with two female coaches from Leicestershire as the journey from coaching in Wildcats to a WSL team is explored. Find out how you can get involved using the links below. 

North  

Northumberland FA will release a podcast discussing playing and coaching opportunities for females.  Their newly launched Lionesses Coaching Programme will also provide opportunity for female coaches to be supported and developed.   

A Primary PE CPD event will support a number of female teachers in Harrogate with four practical modules, and a Girls School Football Partnership teachers award (primary) will be delivered in Manchester.  

Elsewhere in the North West, a ‘Women into Coaching: Knowing the Basics’ CPD event will be hosted by Manchester FA, while a club in Blackburn will be supported to increase participation and female coaches supported by FA Community Champions. North West female coaches will also connect and network via an online coffee club. Find out more and book your place below.