A series of talent camps for young sportswomen are set to give England's budding girl footballers the chance to impress at the highest level.

Scouts from The Football Association will be attending all nine camps, which are being held in late June and July as part of the Active Sports programme, a Sport England initiative designed to increase participation in sport among secondary schoolchildren and to develop talented young players.

The camps will involve nine different sports and are all part of the Commonwealth Games Spirit of Friendship Festival. In total, over 10,000 young people aged between 8 and 16 will take part, along with 4,500 coaches, officials and volunteers.

The F.A. has chosen to use the camps as part of its wider Talent Development Programme for girls' football. The camps are open to girls from the under-14 and under-16 age groups who already attend one of The F.A.'s 35 Centres of Excellence, which are based at men's professional clubs across England.

England scouts will be on hand to assess the girls, with the possibility that some may be fast-tracked into the national team set-up.

"It's the first time we have ever brought our most talented girls together for events of this nature", says Rachel Pavlou, an F.A. Regional Development Manager, with responsibility for the F.A.'s participation in the Active Sports Talent Camps.

"The camps are a great opportunity for girls to be spotted by England scouts. But as well as their footballing ability it’s all about seeing how the girls react, how much they learn from tutor groups and coaching sessions, and how they cope with being away from home".

"These Talent Camps play a major part in the F.A.'s talent development process, by helping the girls to be picked by England at an early age."

Parents who think their daughters could be the next Rachel Yankey should contact their nearest F.A. Coaching Centre, F.A. Centre of Excellence, or their local Football Development Officer.

Details are available on www.thefa.com or by calling the F.A. on 020-7745 4545 for details.

Timings And Venues For The Nine Talent Camps

East University of East Anglia 22-23 June
South East Eastbourne 29-30 June
Yorkshire Sheffield 29-30 June
East Midlands Loughborough University 6-7 July
London Crystal Palace National SC 8-9 July
West Midlands University of Warwick 13-14 July
North East Sunderland 13-14 July
North West University of Central Lancs 20-21 July
South West Millfield School 20-21 July