Centres of Excellence

• To identify and recruit the most talented girls, within the locality (1 ½ hours) of the Centre of Excellence
• To provide quality coaching, education and welfare at all age groups, and at all levels
• To enhance player development, incorporating the principles of LTPD and the FA’s 4 Corner Model, providing individuals with both technical, physiological, psychological and social knowledge to achieve their full potential
• To identify, recruit and develop the most talented coaches within the locality of the Centre of Excellence
• To implement a comprehensive coach mentoring programme for the development of female coaches
• Centre Directors as first line scouts, to work closely with the international teams to make sure any potential international player has the opportunity to be scouted
• To be advocates for and ‘live’ best practice in terms of developing female players, officials and coaches in line with The FA’s Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures

OBJECTIVES:

• To develop players to a standard consistent with the highest levels in women’s football
• To recommend players for national U15 and U17 selection if deemed at the appropriate standard
• To establish squads for Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 age groups
• To establish a challenging and structured technical programme, incorporating the principles of LTPD, which is to be followed by all coaching staff
• To provide a suitable games programme for all age groups

FIXTURES:

FA Centres of Excellence ensure optimum development of our talented players. They provide a specific, progressive and well planned training, practice, competition and recovery programme.

They adhere to Long Term Player Development principles, ensuring technical, physical, tactical, psychological and social preparation based on the FA’s 4 corner model. There are a maximum number of fixtures a player must not exceed and this is monitored to safeguard the player from overuse which ultimately can lead to injury.

The players play differing variations of the game (e.g. 7v7, 9v9) to support their continued development. Only the Under 16 age group plays for points and league status, while the other 3 age groups play in a developmental games programme. As a minimum, every Centre will rotate at least their Under 10 players so that every girl begins to understand each playing position.

Every player has to complete a ‘log book’ that details all their training and fixtures, not just in the Centre but in school, district, county and with other sports. These are reviewed by The FA annually to assess the amount of sport that each player is involved in, as well as trying to denote certain tends relevant to either the player or Centre.

We offer all girls in FA Centres of Excellence a comprehensive games programme and every Centre plays in this regional programme. Players registered with FA Centres of Excellence will not play in local youth leagues as the Centre will provide them with the amount of fixtures required as detailed in the FA LTPD Introductory Guide for Women and Girls’ Football.

SCOUTING:

There are 15 part time FA National Scouts (including 2 specialist Goal Keeper scouts), 5 International team managers and 52 FA Centre of Excellence Directors who have a responsibility for International scouting.

All talented girls aged between 8-16 are actively encouraged to join their local FA Centre of Excellence where they will be developed in a player supportive environment that adheres to Long Term Player Development principles. As there are 52 FA Centres of Excellence in place the FA National Scouts do not visit grassroots clubs as all national scouting resources for juniors are channelled into supporting the FA Centres of Excellence programme.

The FA has invested heavily in this programme and a minimum of 1 FA Licenced Centre of Excellence for girls is in operation in every County. These Centres are staffed by FA Licenced coaches, who have to commit to national and regional in service training (including scouting) and coach development.

These Centres must adhere to strict FA criteria and regulations and they are regularly monitored and evaluated by FA staff to ensure this. Players are trained a minimum of twice per week in the season, will have fitness, nutrition and dietary support and will play in a regular regional fixture programme.

FA International Scouts will regularly visit these regional programmes of fixtures to monitor all potential International players. In the 2007-8 season, every FA Centre was scouted at least twice over the season, resulting in 1,800 players scouted. These Scouts will also support the annual FA Regional Talent Camps where the very elite Centre players will be expected to attend. In the 2007-8 season, 415 players were coached and scouted, including 45 Goal Keepers, in the Camps. Over the last 3 seasons, the England Under 15s has involved 204 players from 41 different FA Centres of Excellence.

Any junior player that is currently in a grassroots club where their coach feels they have potential to be an International player should contact one of the FA Centres detailed on TheFA.com website. National scouts will then observe the player through the Centre fixture programme.

The FA is committed to ensure that grassroots clubs are supported to recruit players so that the whole pathway of player development is sustained. Every County has a full time Girls’ Football Development Officer and a pool of coaches to call upon to fully maintain and develop this whole pathway.

REGULATIONS 2008-9:

FA Rule C4 (b) applies to all players within The Football Association Programme for Excellence.

1. Purpose

The purpose of The Football Association Programme for Excellence is to identify players of outstanding ability and place them in a technical and educational programme designed to produce football excellence in conjunction with personal development.

2. Scope

Any club or organisation may not designate any technical or educational programme as a Centre of Excellence unless that Centre of Excellence is licensed by The Football Association under these regulations.

3. Quality Control

3.1 Requirements to authorise the award of Licences:

3.1.1. Grant Aid Business Plan – To be submitted annually and to reflect the agreed regulations. The business plan is to be made available for review at the request of The Football Association Women’s Football Committee.

3.1.2 Log Books – Each Centre will be provided with Log Books by The Football Association to be completed on a weekly basis by each player under the supervision of the Centre Director.

3.1.3 Monitoring – The Football Association to institute a programme of visits to monitor the regulations.

3.1.4 Reports – Each visit to a Centre of Excellence to be reported and copies of the reports to be available for review on the request of The Football Association Women’s Football Committee.

3.1.5 Financial Monitoring – Each Centre will submit a financial monitoring report twice yearly to The Football Association.

3.1.6 The Football Association Women’s Football Committee has the right to refuse / withdraw a Centre’s licence with immediate effect.

3.2. Registration:

3.2.1. The Football Association to be responsible for providing registration forms for the registration of all players at a Centre of Excellence.

3.2.2 Centres may de-register players by mutual consent or an appeal may be made to The Football Association. Any player who de-registers may not re-register for that Centre, or any other Centre, during the current season without the permission of The Football Association.

3.2.3 Age registration to operate from 1 September of each year.

3.3 Fixtures

The Football Association are to provide a full programme of fixtures for Centres of Excellence.

3.4 Fees

Registration fees and Licence fees to be at the discretion of The Football Association.

3.5 Learning Programme and Support Service

The Football Association to outline the required learning programme and provide the necessary support service to assist Centres to deliver their programme.

3.6 Football Calendar

In agreement with the football calendar, a minimum of four weekends (Friday p.m. to Sunday p.m.) to be allocated throughout each season, without Centres of Excellence fixtures, to be used for:

· International Development

· Selected Players Courses

3.7 Communication

The Football Association to provide for parents/carers and players (on any occasion that a player signs a registration form annually) the rules and guidelines relating to Centres of Excellence, with regards to: registration, welfare, educational needs, priority of activities.

This information must be given at dedicated player and parents/carers meeting at the commencement of the annual programme.

3.8 Quality Audit

The Football Association Director of Football Development will evaluate the performance of Centres of Excellence on objective criteria (including academic, tactical, technical and welfare).

4. Safeguarding Children:

4.1 All staff and volunteers involved at a Centre of Excellence must be registered with the Centre. The register must be kept up to date and no person who is not registered shall have any involvement with the Centre of Excellence. This requirement shall apply to all persons involved at the Centre of Excellence, including coaching, physiotherapy, administration, welfare and ancillary staff and volunteers, talent scouts, drivers etc.

4.2. The register shall be liable to inspection and verification at any time by The Football Association as appropriate.

4.3 The recruitment process for all staff and volunteers must comply with The FA guidance as set out in the Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures. This includes the taking up of at least two references, interviewing and completion of Enhanced CRB Disclosures via The FA CRB Unit.

4.4 All persons who are given a specified role to work with children and young people at a Centre of Excellence must submit and complete an Enhanced CRB Disclosure via The FA CRB Unit when the offer of the post is made.

All such persons shall be required to be trained in safeguarding children issues at least to include satisfactory completion of The Football Association’s Safeguarding Children Workshop.

4.5 One person at each Centre of Excellence shall be designated as having responsibility for child protection issues as part of the promotion of the welfare of children attending the Centre of Excellence and issuing identification to all Centre staff members. All parents / carers and players must be made aware as to whom this person is and how to contact them.