Welcome Plymouth Marjon University!
We’re delighted to welcome Plymouth Marjon University as our newest Women’s High Performance Football Centre.
They join as our ninth centre and will provide a high-quality educational and community-based setting to recruit, develop and deploy coaches for the women’s and girls’ game in the south west.
These coaches will also be supported to lead and inspire player development, specifically in the women’s and girls’ game across the region and will work alongside other FA staff and the surrounding County FA’s (Devon, Cornwall & Dorset).
It’s fantastic to have Plymouth Marjon University join our growing network of Women’s High Performance Football Centres. They are perfectly situated and set up to drive the development of aspiring coaches in the south west, all of whom will play a crucial role in providing excellent football experiences for women and girls in the region.
Our Women’s High Performance Football Centre initiative was launched in 2017 in partnership with British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), with eight original centres announced at universities across the country.
Their role is to support and drive The FA’s ambition to increase the number and quality of coaches, both of which are central to the growth of the women’s game.
Plymouth Marjon will take on this responsibility within their region, while at the same time providing talented players with an environment to drive their academic and football ambitions.
They’ll offer a variety of services such as coaching, sports science and sports medicine alongside scholarship opportunities.
They’ll also have a focus on creating the next generation of the game’s behind-the-scenes workforce, including volunteers, administrators and development staff.
If you’re reading this and are from the south west, you can find out more about how to access their services and get involved by emailing Chris Smietanka.
And if you’re not in the south west but want to find out more about centres in your region, you can get in touch with them through their Coach Development Officers.
| Women's High Performance Football Centre | Name | Contact Email |
| University of Birmingham | Jenna Burke-Martin | J.Burke-Martin@bham.ac.uk |
| University of Chichester | Perry Northeast | P.Northeast@chi.ac.uk |
| University of Gloucestershire | Abbie Sadler | asadler3@glos.ac.uk |
| Manchester Metropolitan University & University of Manchester | Phillip Cook | P.Cook@mmu.ac.uk |
| Northumbria University | Robbie Pringle | robbie.pringle@northumbria.ac.uk |
| University of Nottingham & Nottingham Trent University | Jenny Sugarman | jenny.sugarman@ntu.ac.uk |
| Sheffield Hallam University | Richard Meek | R.J.Meek@shu.ac.uk |
| St Mary’s University | Nathan Simpson | nathan.simpson@stmarys.ac.uk |
