Popular coaching development centre for girls' football

 

Following the success of the girls' football project in January, whereby girls from six high schools in the North of Stoke-on-Trent took part in regular training sessions and tournaments, a Girls' Football Coaching Development Centre was developed in April 2009 to provide these girls with the opportunity to continue playing football.

 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Sport and Leisure Department in association with the FA and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service developed the Coaching Development Centre at Dimensions Leisure Centre, which has registered approximately 40 girls with 12 regularly participating every week. Due to our links with several clubs across Staffordshire, a number of girls have joined clubs as a result of the Centre. 

 

Volunteers Sarah Minshall and Kate Beer, chose 7 girls from this Centre to take part in the first national girls' futsal tournament due to their hard work and commitment throughout the scheme.

 

 

The event, which took place at United’s Carrington training ground, was for girls aged 14-16 and organised by the Manchester United Foundation and StreetGames.

 

On the first day of the event, the girls visited Old Trafford and were shown around the stadium and museum. On the second day, they played against teams from across England and Wales at Carrington Road where they came third in their group, which was a fantastic achievement.

 

After the success of these projects in the North of Stoke-on-Trent another girls' football project run by Sarah Minshall was developed in October 2009 involving five schools from the South of Stoke-on-Trent which are: St. Thomas More, Trentham High, Edensor, St. Joseph’s, and Blurton High. 

 

Since the beginning of October, Yr 7 and 8 girls have been taking part in regular coaching sessions provided at their school by Sarah Minshall and other coaches from Sport and Leisure Services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council. As a result of these sessions, approximately 64 girls have registered onto this project with nine 5-a-side teams forming and playing in tournaments every other week at Fenton Manor. The final tournament is taking place on 15^th December where medals and trophies will be awarded to the winners and runners up.

 

 

 

Plans to continue the project are currently being discussed due to this positive start.

 

Richard Shenton
Operations Officer
Closing the Gap (Sports Development)
T: 01872 238871
E: Richard.Shenton@stoke.gov.uk