Birmingham FA Sign Up New Coaches (26.1.04)
Thanks to the support of McDonalds - The FA's Community Partner - Birmingham County FA are organising a Coach Education course catering specifically for deaf or hearing impaired candidates.
Bookings are now being taken for the Level 1 Coaching Certificate course which takes place at UCE's Sports Pavillion, Moor Lane, Perry Barr on the 4th, 5th, 11th and 12th September.
This is the second such course organised by Birmingham FA's Development Scheme who already offer a wide range of Coach Education Courses throughout Birmingham, The Black Country and Warwickshire.
The course will be signed by experts from the Birmingham City Council / Learning & Skills Council and - as with all FA Courses - delivered by a fully qualified instructor.
Last year the Scheme awarded 900 Level 1 and 250 Level 2 qualifications - more than any other County FA in the Country.
The first Level 1 Course for deaf or hearing impaired candidates produced 14 qualified Coaches, whilst 28 candidates attended a Coaching Disabled Footballers Awareness Course during 2003.
Heather Cowan from Birmingham FA's Development Scheme hopes that the second course will prove even more popular:
"Last year's Level 1 course seems to have been a real hit - we have had so many requests for another and I think that the extra notice will mean that even more applicants come forward this time around.
"We are extremely grateful to McDonalds as their funding means we can open up our Coach Education programme to more people than ever before."
For more information on this - or any of Birmingham FA's Coach Education Courses - contact Birmingham FA's Development Scheme on 0121 682 2525.
Local Support for Disability Football Strategy (20.1.04)
Wednesday's launch of The Football Association's Disability Football Strategy outlined key aspirations for the future of the game, expanding on the achievements already made.
Birmingham County FA's Football Development Scheme are responsible for delivering the grassroots initiatives within The FA's Strategy and are already helping more people to get involved within the local area.
During 2003, around 350 disabled footballers attended Birmingham County FA events, including 2 wheelchair football taster sessions. For many of those taking part this was their first experience of playing football.
"To help maintain their involvement it is vital that more teachers and coaches are able to cater for the specific needs of footballers with disabilities. That way the players enjoy themselves and have the chance to progress," said Birmingham County FA's Development Manager, Natalie Justice.
"We want to remove barriers that have prevented people from getting involved in the past. That includes encouraging more people with disabilities to become Coaches," she added. "It's these people who become role models - inspiring others to play or coach too."
Coach Education Courses are now being tailored to meet these demands. A Level 1 Course for hearing impaired students created 14 more qualified Coaches last year, whilst 28 existing Coaches attended Coaching Disabled Footballers Awareness Courses.
Birmingham County FA also delivers the "Soccability" programme to special schools, which provides teachers with extra skills and equipment to teach football within the curriculum.
The year ahead sees even more activity planned which will contribute towards meeting the aspirations of The FA's Disability Football Strategy.
Perhaps the most exciting prospect is the launch of the Birmingham County FA Disabled Coaching Centre later this year. Talented players will benefit from regular additional coaching and competition against others of similar ability.
"We are going to build on the hard work that has already done," said Natalie. "Our Development Staff will be working with clubs and community groups to create more teams, holding more events and courses - it's going to be a busy time!"
County Developments are on the Up (18.12.03)
As one year ends and a new one kicks off, The Birmingham County FA have been making plans to expand their work even further.
A team of 10 full-time Football Development staff - aided by countless part-time coaches and instructors - work throughout Birmingham, The Black Country and Warwickshire to deliver initiatives and ensure standards are raised within the grassroots game.
The great new is that their work is really paying off. Over the past 12 months the scheme has seen some terrific results, proving that opportunities are there for everyone who wants to get involved.
Over 500 disabled footballers have been introduced to the game during 2003 following highly popular events including wheelchair football taster sessions and tournaments. Schools football has also been given a boost following training given to by Birmingham County staff. Over 600 teachers now have the extra skills and resources to teach football within the curriculum via TOP Sport and Soccability Programmes.
The Girls and Women-s game continues to grow too; this year over 5000 girls were introduced to football via Birmingham County FA taster sessions, fundays and the formation of 2 new mini soccer leagues.
An equally popular aspect of the Development Scheme's work is its highly successful Coach Education Programme.
Officially recognised by The FA as the number 1 provider of education courses in the country, the scheme has helped produce 1400 qualified Coaches at Level 1 and 250 at Level 2 over the past 12 months. This includes over 100 new female coaches and 14 coaches who attended a signed course for the hearing impaired.
The 2004 Education Programme includes a brand new course designed for coaching goalkeepers. Birmingham FA will be one of the first to host the three day session, to be taught by ex-Birmingham City-s Martin Thomas at Warwick University this June.
Warwick University is also the venue for the 2004 Birmingham County Coaching Seminar which takes place on July 11th. A mix of practical sessions and informative discussions with high profile guest speakers has ensured that this annual event becomes increasingly popular - over 160 coaches of all abilities and experiences attended last year.
There are big expectations for the other aspects of the Scheme's work too. County Development Manager, Natalie Justice has been making plans to ensure the efforts so far are built upon during 2004:
"It's really important that we maintain the work already done, but there are specific things we want to do next year, including launching a Coaching Centre for talented Disabled footballers and a Women's County League.
"Our team has grown as the workload has increased, so although I know it will take a tremendous amount of effort, we are all proud of what has been done so far and committed ensuring it continues."
Football Provides Positive Future in Rugby (15.12.03)
An entire community is set to benefit from football development partnerships that have been set up in the Rugby area.
Around 16 youngsters will be taking part in a Referee Training course which kicks off on the 11th January, jointly organised by Rugby Positive Futures and Rugby Town JFC, delivered by Rugby Referees Association.
Positive Futures is a Government initiative which aims to use sport to reduce anti-social behaviour, crime and drug use amongst 10-19 year olds in the most deprived wards of England and Wales.
In the past this has involved teenagers gaining Coaching qualifications but young people in Rugby are now being given the chance to become referees too.
Positive Futures Project Officer, Barbara Walker explained how the course fits into their aims:
"Sport can teach young people many different and important life skills. We hope that those who take part complete the course feel that they have achieved something positive and beneficial.
"We help them onto the grassroots football development path and encourage them to continue on it by offering other young people in their community the opportunity to benefit from the skills they gain," she added.
Birmingham County's Football Development Team has been working within the Rugby area to provide higher standards and greater opportunities to get involved in the game.
Their work has led to the creation of 2 FA Community Clubs within the town who both play an important role in projects like these. Rugby Town JFC will be using 8 places on the course, having subsidised the remaining 8 for Positive Futures candidates.
Refereeing is one of many important roles within grassroots football, but one that often gets overlooked in preference to playing or coaching:
"If we are going to achieve our aim of playing more football within a safe, enjoyable environment then we will obviously need more referees," said Birmingham FA's Football Development Officer, Gemma Adams.
"Match Officials make a massive contribution to football at every level and there are some terrific opportunities to progress up the promotion ladder if that's what you want.
"There is a huge football community within Rugby - so I'm sure the successful candidates will be kept busy! You never know - in years to come we might see them taking charge of an FA Cup Final!"
FA Offers Christmas Shopping Advice! (27.11.03)
As the countdown to Christmas gathers pace, The Football Association is issuing a festive footwear message to anyone buying football boots this year.
The FA wants people to think carefully about selecting the right boots, to enable players to perform at their best and to reduce the risk of injury.
Image plays an ever increasing role in people's choice of footwear, but The FA wants people to judge and buy boots on the grounds of comfort, fit and function, not just on how good they look.
"Players of all ages put football boots at the top of their Christmas list, says Alan Hodson, The FA's Director of Medical Education and Services.
"Very often the boots won't be seen or worn before Christmas day by the person receiving them and it's really important that they fit correctly.
"People shouldn't think that you can 'grow into boots' after a few games as that simply doesn't happen. Injuries caused by the wrong choice of boot can keep players out of the game for a considerable period of time - or in particularly extreme cases for good."
Richard Wright, Director of International Footwear at FA Partner UMBRO comments, "Most players buy a new pair of boots every year and one of the peaks is in the run-up to Christmas,"
"With children it's often twice a year because their feet grow so quickly. The most important thing is for a boot to be comfortable. That won't necessarily be the view of many players as they like boots to look good. However comfort and fit are the two most important factors to consider when buying boots."
The FA has produced a ten-point check list for what people should look out for when buying a pair of boots. The FA says boots should:
*Be comfortable and flexible
*Provide support and stability
*Give good grip and allow traction
*Distribute the load and decrease the shock of impact
*Suit the player's foot type
*Fix cosily at the heel and instep and have a well-padded tongue
*Allow feet to breathe (leather or fabric uppers are considered best)
*Allow a 5-10mm gap between the tip of the longest toe and tip of the boot
*Protect against direct trauma (a kick or contact with the ball)
*Allow the player to perform
Partners Pitch In For Football in Warwick (26.11.03)
Football in Warwick has been given a huge boost following the opening of a brand new Astro Turf facility at Myton School.
The project is the brainchild of PE Teacher, Claire Round who called on the support of The FA and Birmingham County FA to put her ideas into practice.
Thanks to these and other partnerships within the local community, a massive £238,000 grant was awarded by The Football Foundation, with the remainder (over £80,000) met by generous donations from a range of agencies, including Warwick District Council and pupils at the school.
"I am extremely proud," said Claire. "It is a culmination of 4 years work. In 1999 I had a total of 3 balls in Girls PE; a size 4 for the youngsters, a size 5 for the older girls, and an indoor ball for when it was raining!"
Claire compares the progress since then to the workings of a football club: "For success, you need a solvent Board of Directors - in this case, our funding partners.
"But its not just money that makes success. The FA and Birmingham County FA provided the tactics and support that were vital to this project - it couldn't have happened without them."
FA Regional Development Manager for the Midlands, Rachel Pavlou, Birmingham County FA's Development Manager, Natalie Justice and Football Development Officer, Hannah Buckley have all helped Claire meet the requirements of The Football Foundation by advising and supporting the development of football within the school and the local community.
This includes the creation of a Secondary School Girls League which is based at Myton and improving links with the wider community who can now use the pitch at weekends and (thanks to the floodlights!) during the evenings.
The ceremonial switching on of the floodlights was preceded by a tournament involving teams from local primary schools who made the most of the new facilities.
Rachel Pavlou was delighted to see the project come to fruition: "We met Claire back in 2000 so it is wonderful to see the results of everyone's hard work literally up in lights at last – giving football in Warwick a real lift.
"Everyone has played their part, with Claire's enthusiasm and dedication leading the way. She has already started talking to us about ideas to improve the site even further, so watch this space!"