Inspiring a diverse female coaching workforce for the grassroots game

Football is For All, and we're keen to make sure that happens. To mark International Women's Day, we explain what we're doing to inspire more female coaches to get involved in the grassroots game.
There’s an abundance of research that tells us of the positive impact female coaches bring to all levels of football, inclusive of their interpersonal skills, an understanding of player needs, as well as their ability to be positive societal role models. Despite this, the number of women in coaching remains comparatively low to that of their male counterparts.

In a bid to tackle this stubborn inequality, we now have a dedicated team of coach development officers responsible for recruiting and deploying more female coaches for the grassroots game, as well as supporting and developing those who have already embarked on their journey.

The overall aim is to increase the number of exceptional female coaching role models that players can learn from and look up to.

How will we do this on a local level? The coach development officers are working with local county FAs and other key stakeholders to develop several projects targeted at either the recruitment and deployment or the develop and support pillars of our work.

From a recruitment perspective, we’re hosting ‘get into coaching’ events early in the summer. As well as this, we have some targeted work to encourage female parents/carers, teachers, students and players to ‘step over the side lines’ and get involved in coaching.

We’re also offering a range of coach development opportunities and support communities where female coaches can share their experiences and learn from like-minded individuals working in similar recreational contexts.

For more information, please talk to the lead for women's and girls' football at your local CFA – a full list of contacts can be found here.

What are we doing on a national level?
We’re launching our ‘women into coaching’ campaign today (8 March) on International Women’s Day. For the campaign, we’re delivering a series of webinars to inspire a new cohort to get involved with coaching, while also placing a spotlight on some existing female coaches within the grassroots game and celebrating the work they do.

The first of these events will take place tomorrow (9 March). Click here to find out more information about these events and to book your place.

During the month, we’re also setting up an online social community group dedicated to grassroots female coaches. This will provide a safe space for women to discuss the challenges they face and utilise our interactive forums to ask for ideas and tips to assist with their coaching.

Click here to find out more about The FA Community. If you’re already on the platform, look out for the new dedicated group – as soon as it’s launched, it will appear in the coaching menu and you can join!

What additional support is there for coaches, specifically in the female game?
For female coaches who are a little further into their coaching journey, the Women’s High Performance Centres currently support coaches from FA Level 2 and beyond, who may have long-term ambitions to progress into the talent pathways of the female game. You can find more information about this programme and all it has to offer by clicking here.

Look out for further opportunities across our channels, and via your local county FA, as the campaign continues to gain momentum and drive positive change towards inspiring a diverse female coaching workforce for the grassroots game.