Memorandum submitted by the Institute
of Sport and Recreation Management (ISRM)
ISRM is a registered charity and the national
professional body for those involved in the provision, management,
operation and development of sport and recreation services in
the United Kingdom
The Institute's vision: To enable the benefits
that sport and physical activity have to offer society through
the professional, safe and efficient management and development
of sport and recreation facilities and services.
On receipt of your inquiry dated 30 March 2006
reference No 26, we e-mailed our members for evidence which resulted
in the following submissions:
1. AMY CROOK,
OFFICE MANAGER/WOMEN
AND GIRLS
FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER, BRENTFORD
FC LTD, GRIFFIN
PARK STADIUM
According to my experience and knowledge of
women's and girls football in the West London area I have submitted
the following issues you have mentioned for the Committee:
1.1 The development of women's football
at all levels and the resource requirements to support wider participation
in amateur and elite women's football. When a player within your
club gets to a certain standard they are usually poached and the
team has to re-build by managing a season without their best players
and may drop down a division in the process. It should be made
aware more, that you can dual sign players, and clubs should give
more support to clubs who require call ups on their players under
a written contract, obviously if they do not want to help then
that's final. I think it will encourage players who are in a high
division that are always on the substitutes bench to get match
practice elsewhere and still have a place in the high league.
1.2 Availability of opportunities for young
players to develop skills, stamina and performance; without leagues
few clubs will develop girls teams and there is a need for more
structured ones which enable clubs more competition. There are
not enough centres of excellences or academies to help the growth
of young players due to no more licences from the FA. There is
certainly a need for more in the West London area or support for
clubs that cannot access one.
1.3 Women's participation in all aspects
of the game including coaching and management: and a large number
of females with coaching qualifications not working in clubs due
to lack of information and support. Funding helps, but this is
more about developing the mentoring scheme and covering other
areas such as referees, officials and volunteers.
1.4 Media coverage and sponsorship of women's
football. The media coverage is still a grey area and needs to
be investigated and supported a lot more. Many clubs do not realise
how much funding and support they can access, mainly because they
are too busy sorting out the running of the club and have not
got time to digest the information organisations send ie London
Active Partnership, local county, F.A, Greater London League although
this is not always sent to the right people or again passed on.
2. DAMIAN IVES,
FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER, BATLEY
FOOTBALL CENTRE,
BATLEY, WEST
YORKSHIRE
2.1 The development of women's football at
all levels and the resource requirements to support wider participation
in amateur and elite women's football
2.1.1 Women's football is on the increase,
this is backed up with the fact that in 1993 there were around
80 women's and girls teams and presently there are over 6,000
teams in England. These figures make football the most popular
female sport in England and with the FA investing £10 million
to develop the women's game the sport can only grow in all areas
of the game. Already the women's and girls game has grown since
the FA launched its football development strategy in 2001 with
a 53% increase in the number of female players in England and
the commitment and with investment from the FA the future of the
women's game is looking bright.
2.1.2 With the women's and girls player
pathway in place, a clear structure of the game is apparent. From
the mini soccer leagues, after school clubs, local authority and
football in the community schemes to structured and affiliated
leagues advancing to Centres of Excellence and women's football
academies, players can be shown a clear pathway to the international
and world class performance stage, through the England youth (Under-15,
17, 19, 21) teams and the full international senior team.
2.2 Availability of opportunities for
young players to develop skills, stamina and performance.
2.2.1 There are an increasing number of
opportunities for young female players to develop skills, stamina
and performance. A number of theses include participation within
school teams and schools football festivals, an example of this
took place at Batley Girls High School in West Yorkshire when
over 300 year 7 and year 8 girls took part in 8 weeks of curriculum
coaching. This was followed up by a Euro 2005 festival in which
a number of teams participated. The Kick Start programme also
included a presentation to highlight the women's and Girls Player
Pathway and a visit from England international women's player
Sue Smith to present participation certificates and answer any
questions the girls had.
2.2.2 Coaches from local junior clubs were
involved in the delivery of the sessions, again to highlight opportunities
for the participants in the area. Role models like Sue Smith can
only increase the profile of the game for girls and make them
aware of the opportunities that are widely available for them.
2.2.3 Other opportunities include participation
at club level, whether this is in mini soccer leagues (ages 7-10),
specific girls leagues or open age women's leagues. As with most
clubs the season is often completed with club based galas and
tournaments giving further opportunities to develop in skill,
stamina and performance. A prime example of club/playing opportunities
within West Yorkshire is the West Riding Girls League. The league,
now in its 4th year, boasts over 150 teams and offers playing
opportunities for over 2000 girls and ladies from under 9—open
age.
2.2.4 The next stage in performance within
the women's and girls player pathway is Girls Centres of Excellence.
Backed by the FA the centres exist to identify players from schools
and clubs and provide a technical and educational programme that
will allow them to develop to the highest possible level. Whether
this is at Centres of Excellence, Academies, FA Player Development
Centres or at the international and world class performance stage.
The West Yorkshire Girls Centre of Excellence based at Batley
Football Centre runs squads at Under 10, 12 and 13 years. This
is one in a number of centres in the North of England. The programme,
with improved financial commitment from the FA, aims to provide
technical, educational and personal development for players, as
well as talent identification to further develop players for the
world class performance stage. There are a number of benefits
to the Centres of Excellence some of these include, being part
of a national programme, quality coaching from FA qualified staff,
a code of conduct and child protection procedures and a chance
to be selected for England development squads.
2.2.5 Opportunities are also available for
young people who do not wish to join a club or those who are new
to the game. These opportunities are often in the form of junior
coaching programmes run at leisure centres and school venues by
local authority and Football in the Community schemes. Programmes
that take place throughout school term time and school holiday
periods will no doubt highlight club opportunities but are most
often based around participation, fun/enjoyment and skill development.
These type of opportunities often link in to local authority football
development plans/strategies and working with other partners ensure
that the needs of the local community are addressed and catered
for.
2.3 Women's participation in all aspects of
the game including coaching and management
2.3.1 Many opportunities are available for
women within football, from the coaching side to management. Initiatives
and courses, such as FA Level 1, 2 and 3 coaching awards, are
widely available for females to access through county FAs and
local authorities. Particular opportunities and development tools
can be found and supported by the FAs website in particular www.thefa.com/women.
A whole host of information regarding the women's game and development
can be found on this web page, such as information on grassroots
coaching to the Women's National Premier League.
2.3.2 The roles of Women's and Girls Football
Development Officers within county FAs again is an example of
opportunities for females within the sport. With specific roles
to develop the game at grassroots level to open age, provide support
to women's and girls sections of club football and to provide
coach education opportunities and mentoring schemes for females
this type of post is of great value to the female game. Aside
from playing at clubs females are encouraged to become club coaches
not only to encourage youngsters to participate but also to act
as a role model for up and coming players. Further roles within
clubs can be taken up these ranging from chair person to child
protection officer.
2.4 Media coverage and sponsorship of women's
football
2.4.1 Media coverage of women's football
has helped to raise the profile of the sport over the years. The
13,452 who turned out in the second highest crowd ever to witness
a ladies F.A Cup Final this year would have been joined by millions
more as the final was screened live to 54 other countries in the
world, this demonstrating how much more the media are getting
behind women's football and the showpiece events.
2.4.2 Another recent example of this was
the Women's Euro 2005 competition which was held in June 2005
and hosted by the North West of England. Around three million
people watched on TV the eight countries take part in 15 games,
along with 70,000 who attended England's group matches in the
competition.
2.4.3 The elite National Division of FA
Women's Premier League comprises of clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool
and Leeds. With increasing commercial interest growing in the
women's game the league has attracted a four year multi-million
pound sponsorship deal from Nationwide. The company have also
put their name to the League Cup showing that support is growing
off the field as well as on, and at grassroots level.
2.4.4 By working with partners such as County
FAs, Local Authorities, clubs and schools more opportunities will
become readily available for women and girls within the game of
football, whether this be at grassroots level, world class performance
stage or within coaching and management. And with growing support
from the media and the public the profile of women's football
will be raised further.
3. MAUREEN HOLROYD,
SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER, CULTURE
AND LEISURE
SERVICESSTADIUM
BUSINESS AND
LEISURE COMPLEX,
STADIUM WAY,
HUDDERSFIELD
DEVELOPMENT OF
WOMEN'S
/GIRLS FOOTBALL
IN KIRKLEES
3.1 Introduction
Kirklees MC has worked in partnership with West
Yorkshire Sport and latterly with the West Riding County FA, to
develop opportunities, through the "Kick-Start"' initiative,
for girls to participate and progress in the sport. Through working
with local clubs we now have approximately twelve women's/girls
teams in Kirklees, that are affiliated to their local league and
play regular competition.
3.2 Opportunities
Kirklees Council's Culture and Leisure Service
and Kirklees Active Leisure provide regular holiday coaching courses,
to which girls attend, and also coaching sessions in schools in
curriculum time.
Also in Kirklees we have a Girls Centre of Excellence,
administered by the WRCFA. Girls who are recommended by their
managers attend trials at the centre, where, if selected, they
train with high level coaches in order to develop skills and stamina
to perform at a higher level.
3.3 Coaching and management
We have several female coaches at level one
and a small amount who go on to level two.
3.4 Sponsorship
Sponsorship of women's/girls teams is the responsibility
of individual clubs and most of them seem successful in gaining
the support of the local business community.
4. GEORGE CULL,
SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER, LEISURE
IN HYNDBURN,
ACCRINGTON, LANCASHIRE
4.1 SPORTS
DEVELOPMENT—HYNDBURN
Women and girls football
This evidence is gathered together for the purpose
of the report, however the information was already collated.
4.2 EVIDENCE
4.2.1 Women and girls football has increased
in popularity over the past five years and evidence of this is
the fact that five years ago there was only one ladies team operating
in the Borough. There are currently three clubs which now have
female sections, two of which are FA Charter Standard and one
who is working towards it. One of the three clubs have a youth
and adult section.
4.2.2 Because of the growth and the demand
for growth, girls football has been listed as a focus sport for
the Sports Development Team, so resources of existing officers
have been directed more into that sport than others.
4.2.3 We don't have specific figures for
Hyndburn on the number of active coaches who are female however
in the past three years we have run coaching and officiating courses
and have had the following results:
— FA Level 1 course—five
female.
— Referees level 7/8 Course—45
male, 11 female.
— Junior Football Organisers Course—10
female.
This is likely to increase this year as we run
another course and have already had interest from five females.
5. JIM GRANT,
SFA FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER, WEST
LOTHIAN COUNCIL,
SPORTS UNIT
5.1 GIRLS/WOMEN'S
FOOTBALL IN
WEST LOTHIAN
5.1.1 In our region participation levels
are increasing in a very positive way, a 10% increase yearly with
new teams starting up all the time. There are now three girls
teams participating at 13s age group and we now have two teams
playing in the 17s league.
5.1.2 The requirements needed to ensure
wider participation are funding and resources to support a girls
only primary and secondary school programme of fun days and festivals.
This will allow a wider group to take part in taster sessions,
and from that, those who show potential and want to play on a
regular basis can be guided to local clubs who can cater for their
needs.
5.1.3 For those who wish to play regularly
then the opportunity will become available to develop skills,
stamina and performance levels at the clubs. We need to ensure
that more clubs have a girls section or allow girls to participate
alongside boys and the coaches who work with the girls are suitably
qualified and are fully aware of the girls playing and training
requirements.
5.1.4 As more girls/women play and playing
standards continue to improve then more will become positive role
models for younger players and start to coach and manage teams.
This will take a little time to filter through the system. Until
then it is vital that girls teams have mothers/guardians helping
in some way either as administrators, first aiders, physiotherapists
or committee members. This will hopefully ensure that the girls/women's
game is treated on a par within the club structure.
5.1.5 This will have to be supported with
the required resources put in place to train these people to the
required level.
5.1.6 Media coverage is still poor both
at a local and national level. Particularly at a time when our
national teams are performing well and their UEFA rankings are
higher than the men's/youths.
5.1.7 I have found sponsorship on a local
basis is good for the girls teams, there is always a local business
who is keen to have their company associated with a positive thriving
area of the game. Girls/women's football locally is seen as being
not so cynical or tainted as the boys/men's game.
June 2006
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