This week: KELLY SIMMONS – director of participation and development
A BIG part of my job is to get people playing football. The way I describe my responsibilities is that they encompass children’s football, grassroots football, the National League System and the Women’s Pyramid, including the FAWSL.
Our corporate vision is that football is for all, so I head up making sure everyone who wants to play, can play, and everything that is wrapped around that. Good clubs, good leagues, good coaching, referees for the games, pitches and volunteers. It all adds up to form the whole aim.
The beauty of football is that so many people love it – 12 million people play the game. That’s everything from turning up in the park for a kickabout to having big ambitions and moving through the pathways.
We’ve just got the results from our second Grassroots Football Survey. Over 30,000 took part, providing invaluable feedback for the FA and the County FAs.
First of all, it really helps give a general picture of the issues at this level of the game. It breaks down people into their specific roles and where they prioritise support. So if you’re a referee, a coach, a league secretary or you’re running a club, what are your priorities? Is it technology, grants for new teams, better facilities? If you’re a referee, is it mentoring? It helps to shape our priorities when we hear back from those who are at the coal face so a big thank you to those who fed back.
Impact
Then it also gives both the FA and the County FAs a benchmark for our services. How are we doing? How can we improve so we’re really relevant and useful in grassroots football?
It won’t be any surprise to anybody involved in the game that facilities are a huge focus point. In previous surveys a lot of it was about grass pitches. Increasingly it’s access to 3G pitches.
Many clubs have got lots of teams, big junior sections, and they are looking for training facilities. In youth football increasingly you’re seeing teams, whether it’s in the winter months or through the season, play on 3G. So there’s a really big call to accelerate our 3G provision.
Parklife is a big part of that, where we’re taking a city by city approach. For example, in Liverpool the finances have been signed off to build 12 3G pitches across the city. That’s a game changer for Liverpool and what the city needs based on the data from the clubs, leagues and the County FAs. We have just announced a major Parklife investment with Southampton and Eastleigh councils which will have a huge impact in those communities.
As well as Parklife, we are also investing £12m a year into the Football Foundation for other facility projects which is matched by our partners at the Premier League and Sport England.
National League System clubs are a huge part of football in this country.
Not only are they hugely important for providing men’s football at different standards across the whole Pyramid, but also the role they’re increasingly playing in delivering football for everybody in their community from mini soccer to walking football.
Bursaries
It’s phenomenal when you see the number of teams that sit under some of those clubs’ umbrella.
We got some specific insight from NLS clubs a couple of years ago. A lot wanted to grow their teams – girls, boys, different age groups. They obviously needed facilities to do that and they wanted support for coach education. They are the two areas where we’ve focused the most investment in terms of the National Game Strategy.
You also need really good volunteers. Nothing subsidises great people helping clubs and their teams. But ultimately every junior team needs a good coach.
We’ve appointed full-time coach developers in every county and coach mentors, who work at a lot of the big community clubs, supporting coaches and giving them feedback. It’s promoting the right coaching provision for young people, understanding how young people learn and develop and getting the England ‘DNA’ right down to the heart of English football. We’ve also got bursaries in every county to support coaches’ qualifications too.
Another important finding from the survey is making sure grassroots clubs utilise their County FAs to full effect. We’ve got a National League System conference coming up in three weeks and we’ll promote how we can help and where support is available.
For example, in partnership with the Football Foundation, we’re releasing £2.5m of grants for clubs who want to set-up new teams. There is support out there, the key is making sure people know about it.
We’ll be championing the importance of NLS clubs having good relationships with their County FAs. The clubs have a big part to play in their communities across the spectrum. It’s our, and my, job to help and support them.
