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Big Deal?

The case for commercial investment in women's sport reveals there continues to be a chronic lack of investment in elite women's sport in the UK. 

A new report from The Commission on the Future of Women's Sport shows that sponsorship of women's sport in the UK amounted to just 0.5% of the total market.

“To succeed in the world of sport you have to be at the top of your game and the lack of funding and sponsorship investment for aspiring women is another unnecessary barrier to contend with. The Big Deal report outlines the potential in this market and case for investment, so we really need those with influence inside the sports sector, along with creative brands and sponsors, to work together to change the situation and celebrate women’s sport.”  Dee Caffari

“Women’s sport is littered with some extremely talented individuals and teams – it is such as exciting time to be part of it. The Big Deal report shows that audiences are clearly enjoying and fans of women’s sport, with a demand to see more. It would be fantastic if more brands invested in sponsorship for women’s sport to make sure the whole country, and world, gets to see the quality on offer.” Nicole Cook


Join the conversation on Twitter: @WSFF_UK #BigDeal

Have your say and discuss the issue on the new WSFF Facebook page

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Women and Football Coaching

Female Coach Development is an innovative project aimed at sustaining the participation of teenage girls in football through the provision of more qualified female coaches. This three year project will produce a coach development model that demonstrates how barriers faced by women who wish to embark on a career in football coaching can be overcome to provide more qualified female coaches.

Overview

The London Playing Fields Foundation along with partners has  developed a programme that aims to get more women involved in coaching football.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 October 2008 - 01 October 2011
Organisation: 
London Playing Fields Foundation
Project name: 
Female Coach Development Project
AudienceAll women
Age group: 
16 - 24
Innovation
There has been little support for grassroots coaches wishing to progress from the Level 1 Certificate to Level 2 despite the significant increase in required levels of technical knowledge and understanding of the game. This project has tried to address this need by providing a mentoring system whereby the candidates are able to receive one-to-one support from a mentor throughout the duration of their Level 2 certificate. They not only have the opportunity to watch taster sessions, but to deliver and receive feedback on their own performance. At the end of the preparatory course each mentor completes an action plan for the coach so that they are able to identify and work on their weaknesses.
Recruitment and promotion
LPFF worked with the five County FA’s to recruit participants to the project. It also posted information on the County Sports Partnership website and directly contacted local women’s leagues. The project was officially launched by Hope Powell, England Women’s National Coach, on 16th October 2008 at London Marathon Playing Field, Greenwich. Hope was joined by her Assistant Coach Brent Hills, Faye White and Emma Byrne from Arsenal LFC and Anita Asante from Chelsea LFC. The event was attended by project funders and partners and it received good coverage in the local and trade press. In December 2009 Hope Powell returned to the project to celebrate its successful first year. The event received press coverage via the FA, London FA, Fair Game magazine and local press.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Football
Funding
The project has acquired funding for a three year period from various sources including Football Foundation, Jack Petchey, Nike, Sportsmatch and the London Marathon Charitable Trust
Partnership
London Playing Fields Foundation set up a project Steering Group comprising: London FA, Essex FA, Middlesex FA, Kent FA, Surrey FA, AFA, London Football Coaches Association, WSFF and SELKENT League. The Steering Group monitors the programme in terms of achieving its outputs and outcomes, ensuring that the project co-ordinates with existing structures and initiatives. It also checks that the project meets the needs of the target groups. In addition it is a forum for generating new ideas on how the project can continuously be improved, especially with a view to planning for future expansion and sustainability. LPFF works closely with the London FA to enrol candidates on their Level 2 courses and to support the recruitment of Level 1 coaches. LPFF and LFA have also worked in collaboration with two Girls Centres of Excellence to establish Saturday morning coaching clinics in order to introduce girls to the game.
Results
Lessons: 
The project has just completed its first year and twenty five coaches completed a preparatory course and enrolled on a Level 2 course. All of the fourteen coaches who took their final assessment achieved the Certificate and this is a source of great encouragement and inspiration for new coaches joining the project. The feedback from the coaches has been very positive: “The preparatory course really set me up with confidence and knowledge for the week. It also motivated me and I look forward to the Level 2 course.” “I think watching the mentors deliver sessions and seeing what was required and expected of us and then delivering sessions taking on board things that they had employed was a very effective way of learning.” A number of monitoring tools were used to capture data from participants during their involvement in the project: -Application form -Attendance registers -Outcome Star -Post preparatory course action plan -Coaches’ feedback form -Quarterly monitoring following completion of the Level 2 Certificate course Of the fourteen Level 2 qualified coaches ten are currently coaching; with four prevented from doing so by injury, work commitments or travel overseas.
Evaluation: 
The main problem that we have had to overcome is recruiting a group of young people with the appropriate ability and experience with whom the coaches could work during the preparatory course practical sessions. The Football Development Officer has worked closely with local clubs to recruit boys and girls teams for each block of sessions.
Themes

Facilities

Other

The venue for the project is London Marathon Playing Field, Greenwich, a dedicated mini-soccer centre and base for the SELKENT league. The pavilion is gender-friendly and the ground regularly hosts girls mini soccer tournaments for leagues and local schools. Through the project the ground has been designated London’s female coach development centre so that it can become a central venue for the delivery not only of preparatory courses but also for female coaching masterclass sessions.

Growing and sustaining participation

Tackling drop off

The purpose of the project is twofold: 1. To increase the number of qualified female coaches in the game 2. To retain the number of girls playing football By increasing the number of Level 1 and Level 2 coaches in the game it is envisaged that they will become role models for the girls they are coaching and they will provide a more empathetic and cooperative style of coaching. In doing so it will encourage more girls to stay engaged in the game therefore tackling the drop off in participation by teenage girls. The project involves the delivery of a five week preparatory course aimed at providing the coaches with an introduction to the demands of the Level 2 course. It also gives them the opportunity to watch the delivery of practical sessions and to deliver and receive feedback on their own sessions. During this preparatory phase the coaches become familiar with the Level 2 course content and their confidence increases.

Workforce development

Coaching

The focus of the project is to support more female coaches through their Level 2 certificate so that they are able to make a contribution to the female game either in a paid or voluntary capacity. The coaches are assigned to a mentor during the preparatory course who follows their development through the Level 2 course until the final assessment. The mentors are on hand to give advice and support to the candidates who are encouraged to return to the preparatory course sessions to practise their mock and final assessment topics if they require. The coaches are offered a year’s free membership to London Football Coaches Association so that they are able to access its programme of masterclass sessions and newsletter which features coaching and employment opportunities.

Talent development

Player pathway

The project provided London FA with financial assistance to subsidise candidates on Level 1 courses. Any outstanding candidates are identified by the tutors and recommended to join the Female Coach Development project to complete their Level 2 certificate. Outstanding candidates from the Level 2 course are recommended to the Girls Centres of Excellence, with five of the fourteen successful candidates now working within a C of E.

Confidence and self esteem issues

The purpose of the project was to provide the female coaches with the confidence to enrol on and to complete the Level 2 course. The courses are male dominated and this can be intimidating for some female coaches, particularly those that do not have a high level of playing ability. The preparatory course introduces the coaches to the topics covered by the course and makes sure they are aware of the technical and practical elements that they will be required to demonstrate. It gives them the opportunity to practise these sessions in a supportive environment and to receive feedback from the mentors and fellow coaches. The levels of confidence before and after the preparatory course have been measured and a marked improvement in the levels can be seen at the end of the course.

Health & wellbeing

The ultimate aim is to sustain the participation of girls by increasing and improving the female coaching workforce, so there will be a health benefit in terms of fewer girls dropping out of the game.

Key links: 
http://www.lpff.org.uk/whatwedo_projects_details.aspx?id=758

Turves Green Little League Netball

Little League Netball provides the opportunity for girls aged 8-11 to play competitive netball and receive coaching regardless of ability to pay or play. The league is in a central venue, so remains very local for those involved. Mothers of players run the leagues and take on the training, managing and coaching roles. Along side this Return to Netball sessions have taken place, as many of the women, through watching their children play, became enthused and reminded of how fun netball was. The league also runs a Young Leaders programme, with leavers returning to help out.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 February 2005 - ongoing
Organisation: 
Birmingham City Council
Project name: 
Turves Green League Netball
AudienceAll women
Age group: 
0 - 15
Innovation
In terms of Little league Netball, the fact that all abilities are welcome and the professional nature of the league in terms of how it is run with kit and equipment provided etc. And for the Return to Netball sessions, the fact that participants were able to see their children participating and that it was ok and achieveable to be sporty has been really important.
Recruitment and promotion
Players are recruited to Little League Netball through schools, via letters to parents inviting the childeren to get involved. Posters are also put up in local libraries and leisure centres. Word of mouth has also meant new members getting involved. In terms of the Return to Netball element, the majority of players are parents of Little League members, although sesions have also been promoted through posters in local supermarkets and the Birmingham netball website.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Netball
Funding
Initially the project was funded with a start up grant from The Children's Network fund and Birmingham City Council. It is now self sustainable through teh league own fundraising eforts and sponsorship from the local community.
Partnership
The league is run by Mothers of players in the league and is supported by the local Sports Development Officer for Birmingham City Council. Schools also support the league by promoting it to parents and pupils.
Results
Lessons: 
The project is monitored both by numbers of attendees and participant evaluation forms that ask questions about enjoyments, perceived fitness levels, self esteem etc.
Evaluation: 
We would look more at supporting the transition from Little League to junior club as there are quite a lot of girls that drop out at 11. Inviting local clubs to come along in their club kit to meet the girls on match days and in the environment that they already feel comfortable in. In relation to Return to Netball, we need to review how we follow up with those women who come once or twice and then never again to better understancd and address why this is.
Themes

Growing and sustaining participation

Tackling drop off

Stopping girls from droping out of sport is central to the project, by getting them involved at an early age (8) there is more likelyhood of them staying in sport. There are then clear exit routes for the girls when they turn 11 into local clubs.

Taking part as a family

Mothers of players of players attend as supporters, committee members, managers, coaches and umpires. Now many of them play as well Their sessions follow on from the week day coaching sessions the girls attend. The girls turn to watch their mothers!

Workforce development

Volunteering

The mum's that volunteer fulfil a variety of function including team managing, fundraising, officiating, chairing league meetings and marketing and promoting the league.The fun environment that has been created for volunteers also makes recruiting them pretty easy.

Promotion, marketing and raising the profile

PR and media coverage

We are currently producing a DVD that hopefully shows all aspects of the project. This will be played at cinemas, leisure centres, at Head Teachers meetings etc.

Rebranding and reversioning sport

Whilst the actual playing rules for the children are the same, the way the league is run is quite different to other leagues as the emphasis is on fair play and enjoyment. All players must play at least half a match, no one gets left out. The selection process is based on sharing out of tall players, good players, beginners, small players, and ensuring the same number of ages in each team – the aim being to end of with teams of fairly equal ability. All children receive medals, not just the winners.

Confidence and self esteem issues

The Little League Netball rules ensure everyone plays at least half a game and throughout the season everyone plays the same number of half matches and full matches. Netball is a team sport and all the team are rewarded and congratulated. The end of season tournament is handicapped giving those lower down the league table a chance to win!

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