Girls 5-a-side football competition

 

 

Girls from six high schools in the North of Stoke on Trent have been participating in regular training sessions and tournaments over the past 10 weeks aimed at increasing participation amongst semi-sporty young people.

 

The sessions were set up by volunteers Sarah Minshall and Kate Beer and run by coaches from Sport and Leisure Services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The sessions aimed at increasing confidence, skill and ability of the young people involved and proved successful with ten 5-a-side teams formed from 6 schools. 

  

The project has registered approximately 80 girls with 60 regularly participating in sessions and competitions.

 

The final tournament was held on the 1st April where the teams were split into two groups and competed in a Cup and a Plate competition; each team played four matches of 10 minutes and participated in a skills session. 

 

Thistley Hough - Cup Competition Winners

 

The Lord Mayor Derek Capey presented Thistley Hough High School’s Team 1 with the overall winner’s trophy and Brownhills High School with silver medals. The Plate Competition was won by Holden Lane High School with Haywood Team 1 runners up.  St Margaret Ward’s Dana Murphy was awarded with the Player of the Season Award for her continued effort and remarkable improvement in ability over the 10 week period. Kerona Meade from Haywood High School was presented with the Fair Play Award for her positive attitude and enthusiasm to training.

 

 

The Girls’ Football project will continue in these 6 high schools with a hope to repeat its success with girls from years 9 and 10 in the next few weeks. Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Sport and Leisure Department in association with the FA and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service have developed a Girls' Football Coaching Development Centre that kicked off on 8th April 09. 

 

The centre will provide the girls from the years 7 and 8 project the opportunity to continue playing football and will also be open to any girls in the city between the ages of 12- 16. The centre is aimed at semi-sporty girls who want to play for fun and will be run by qualified female coaches. The centre will help to develop skill and ability and also offer pathways for girls to join local football teams.

 

For more information on this particular project please contact Ruth Stainton on 01782 235001.