The Women's Football Club launched their first ever coaching scheme this year. As a club, we knew that the sport was already increasing hugely in popularity throughout the country, and all felt privileged enough to have been given the opportunity to play football at a young age. We felt as though, as a university team, we were lucky enough to be in a position to play a role in developing and encouraging girls football and that it was a chance that we could not miss.

Over the summer, we organised for an FA Level 1 Coaching Course to be held at the university that was open to anyone to take. As a result of this, a group of us managed to gain our qualifications. We managed to set up, with immense help from Warwick Volunteers, partnerships with two primary schools in Coventry, and coached in these schools in the Spring Term. Overall, we managed to coach over thirty girls and set up a friendly match between the two schools to mark the end of the coaching scheme.

We were delighted and humbled by the amount that the girls enjoyed football after these sessions, as it was a sport that had always been so male-dominated throughout their childhood. Having spoken to the girls and the teachers, we are hopeful that football will play more of a significant role in both their P.E. lessons and as an extra-curricular activity. The feedback that we have received from parents has also made us very proud of the work that we have carried out in these two schools.

After such a successful and enriching experience, we fully believe that this is a scheme that, as a club, we can continue and grow in years to come. We want to say a massive thank you to Warwick Sport, especially Joe Barr, though we know he has moved on, for all of the help and guidance that we have received in organising this.