Next Ones Up: A Step Into Football Coaching
The Powerhouse Project, Nike and The The Powerhouse Project, Football Beyond Borders, Nike and The Football Association have come together to create a ground-breaking programme
The year-long programme will see 50 young women from non-dominate communities engage in a series of tailored workshops, mentoring sessions and practical experiences that will foster their personal and professional growth.
The initiative will provide a transformative platform in which each participant will earn their ‘Introduction to Football Coaching’ coaching qualification. With the aim to address the underrepresentation of women, specifically women from ethnically diverse backgrounds in football coaching roles.
By creating an inclusive and supportive environment, the programme will equip young women with the necessary skills, knowledge and opportunities to excel in the sports sector. The curriculum, with a focus on leadership, will include effective communication, teamwork, resilience and strategic thinking, whilst focusing on specific challenges and opportunities faced by women in football.
“Our focus with this programme, and all our programmes at The Powerhouse Project, is on educating, elevating and enabling women, giving them the tools they need to excel in sport and become leaders who positively impact the lives of others. This strategy was born out of mine and my twin sisters experience as two women of colour working in football.” Said Rosie Kmita, Co-Founder of The Powerhouse Project.
Football Beyond Borders, a leading charity and youth brand which uses football as a tool to help young people finish school with the skills and grades they need to successfully transition to adulthood, will provide guidance on youth development and community outreach to successfully deliver the programme.
“There is a double-pronged barrier for our girls in becoming coaches. Firstly, they can’t see themselves as a coach, and secondly, professional women’s football lacks relevance in their lives. The partners bringing this programme to life are the perfect organisations to tackle those barriers, and we’re so excited to create meaningful cultural crossovers for teenage girls to see a future in women’s football coaching,” said Ceylon Andi Hickman, Head of Brand at Football Beyond Borders. “We know how important it is for young girls to feel represented by coaches who understand their context – it is a fundamental building block to the long-term relationships that are vital for engagement in sport. This programme will help create those leaders to inspire and uplift the next generation."
The programme commenced with a three-day camp at St Georges Park and will run for 12 months, with the end goal being to collaboratively break down barriers and address the underrepresentation of women, specifically women of colour within coaching roles in the football industry.
