Purpose The FA has committed to doubling Women and Girls participation by 2020. In order to support this target, girls need to experience football within the community at a younger age as currently only 3% of mini soccer teams are girls only and just 41% of girls (compared to 95% boys) aged under-10 play football. Research has shown that the majority of girls enjoy playing in girls only teams more than mixed teams, and the earlier a girl starts playing football the more likely they are to have a long-term relationship with the sport. The FA Girls Mini Soccer Centre Programme A Mini Soccer Centre (MSC) is a female only playing opportunity for girls aged 5 11. The centre will take place on a weekly basis, either afterschool or at weekends. It will be a safe environment where inexperienced girls can; have fun engaging with sport, develop fundamental skills, try a variety of sessions, learn new things and create foundations for a lifelong love of sport. This programme will seek to redress the gender balance by establishing 200 pilot MSC across the Country in the Spring/Summer 2017. Girls will be given the opportunity to experience football through fun sessions that encapsulate friendships, character building and learning. Alongside the main activity, MSC will also provide an opportunity for the attending parents and guardians and siblings to engage with sport in Family Sessions, eg Soccercise/Walking football Operation: The FA MSC pilot sessions will run in the Spring/Summer of 2017 in in the lead up to the Euros. The minimum number of weeks a pilot can run for is 16 weeks (including half terms). We will be launching the programme the week commencing 20 th March 2017. This date has been chosen for 2 main reasons. Firstly, to coincide with Mother s Day later that week and our hope that mums and family members will join in physical activity sessions at the same time as their girls. Secondly, so that as the 16 weeks are approaching an end, the start of the count-down to the Euros begins and the chance to run Euro themed festivals can be included. A MSC will target new female participants however it will be open to all girls aged 5 11. Girls should be made aware of the programme via primary school initiatives. It is important therefore that CFAs make early contact with key partner organisations such as: Clubs in The Premier League, English Football League Trust, National league The FA Women s Premier League & The FA Women s Super League Community Hubs ran by institutes in British University and College Sport & The Association of Colleges English Schools Football Association Independent Schools Football Association Brownies/ Guides, etc Local Charter Standard Clubs Local Schools Commercial providers Girls joining an MSC are able to stay and play; there will be no pressure for the girls to leave to join a club. CFAs will be credited with the creation of these Centres in all NGB and Women's Football Board reports on female KPIs. Those
girls that want to move into a club environment should be transferred into a Charter Standard club that champions female football. The centre must be able to demonstrate exit routes after the 16 sessions or show how the activity will be sustained. All centres that receive a grant to run a centre will need to complete registers at each session and an evaluation form at the end of the programme. In order to run The FA Girls Mini Soccer Centre the following criteria must be met: Staff: 1 x Administrator 2 x Level 1 FA Licensed (age 18+) with an in date FA CRC, FA Safeguarding and FA Emergency aid qualification 2 x Volunteers to assist coaches - If volunteers are 18 or over they must hold an in date FA CRC, FA Safeguarding and FA Emergency aid. - If you chose to use young leaders the minimum age is 14, where the volunteer is under 16 they must have parental consent to volunteer, volunteers under the age of 18 must be supervised at all times. Please note, there must always be a minimum of two adults (18+) available at any one time and a minimum of 1 staff member (18+) to every 16 children (1:16). Where the children are aged 8 or younger you will require more staff and a minimum of two adults (18+) should always be present (ratio 1:8). If the children have additional needs e.g. learning needs or a disability the ratio should be higher than 1:16 to ensure you can meet the specific needs of any given group. Please take this ratio into consideration when appointing staff. Example: 32 girls aged 7 = minimum x4 adults aged 18+ 32 girls aged 9 = minimum x2 adults aged 18+ 1 x Activator to engage family members in activity (age 18+) with an in date FA CRC, FA Safeguarding and FA Emergency Aid training A designated Safeguarding Officer (Can be an existing staff member above if qualified) One person shall be designated as having responsibility for safeguarding. All staff, parents/carers and players must be made aware as to whom this person is and how to contact them. This person must have attended FA Safeguarding Children Workshop as a minimum. Please refer to the FA U18 Safeguarding Checklist. It is desirable for volunteers/activators to have experience delivering football to girls ages 5-11. In a bid to increase the number of role models within football and meet the demographic of participants, at least one volunteer/activator must be female.
Centre must have the following policy and procedures in place: Safeguarding Children Policy Equality Policy Anti - Bullying Policy Venue complies with Health and Safety regulations Accident reporting process Funding Funding will be available for organisations who deliver an FA MSC for a minimum of 1 hour a week over a minimum duration of 16 (including half term holidays). Each MSC will be able to access 1,000 and the organisation is encouraged to secure 50% match/in kind funding to enhance and /or sustain sessions post summer 2017. The centre may include sessional charges (up to a maximum of 3/hour/person). There must be a minimum of 30 girls at each session. (Understandably this may take a number of weeks to achieve, and this will be taken into consideration) The sessions can include a variety of ages between 5-11. Grants can be used to fund a variety of football activities i.e. training sessions, Soccercise, games or futsal. The most important point is that the sessions are geared towards the needs of girls, especially fun, fitness and friends.. Funding can be used for the following: Staff time Facility Hire Equipment/ Kit Marketing Grants cannot be used for existing delivery. Application Licensing: Each County Football Association (CFA) will hold the license for any Mini Soccer Centre running within their County boundaries. Who can apply: CFAs can apply for their own MSC, applications from external organisations are also encouraged and must be in conjunction with the County FA. How to apply: The application portal window will open on Thursday 15 th December 2016. County FAs will apply via a unique URL which they will be sent automatically by TMG. If a County FA wishes to nominate an external organisation to apply for a MSC they must have their own unique URL to do so. This will be activated as soon as the CFA send the following information below to
womens.football@thefa.com. Nominations must be received no later than 3 days before the closing date in order to give external organisations time to complete the application successfully. Centre name Contact name Contact surname Contact email address Centre type - County FA - Clubs - League - Community Trust - Educational Establishment - Small Sided/Leisure Centre - Other - Please state What next: Once completed, the online application form will follow the process below: i) County FAs must submit and then approve their own application; following this it will then be assessed by The FA. ii) External Organisations must submit their application to the County FA for comment and approval, following this it will then be assessed by The FA. A FA Regional panel consisting of people with knowledge and experience of Women s and Girls football development and funding will decide on all applications for this FA fund. Successful applicants will be informed on Friday 3 rd February 2017. Timescales: Action Date Information to CFAs 6th December 2016 Application portal window opens 15 th December 2016 Application portal window closes 20 th January 2017 Successful CFAs notified 3 rd February 2017 Mini Soccer Centre Start date W/C 20 th March 2017 Monitoring and Evaluation All Centres that receive a grant must complete registers at each session and upload to the FA Girls Mini Soccer Centre Portal on a weekly basis, failure to do this may result in the funding being withdrawn. Centres will also be required to complete an evaluation form at the end of the programme.
For All Participants should reflect the diversity of the population of the local area. Your MSC should be linked into and supported by your CFA IAG group and align with the Inclusion KPIs you are already working towards. Your MSC should be inclusive of disabled participants and it could be an aspiration to deliver disability specific centres where there is demand. Across your MSC you should work towards a minimum target of 3% of participants reporting a disability. Your MSC should be linked into and supported by your CFA Disability Lead / Disability Workforce Fund Officer. By working in partnership with the CFA disability lead / DWF officer should ensure that MSC are inclusive, whilst promoting transition into the disability player pathway. MSC should have a network of primary schools within a 15 minute travel zones Centres should engage with Charter Standard Clubs, Colleges and Universities to discover potential volunteers. County FA Requirements Check via the Whole Game System to ensure centre staff meet minimum requirements re FAN, CRC and coaching, safeguarding and emergency aid qualifications. Check how well the proposed centre would complement other activity in the area i.e. with FA Skills/local Charter Standard clubs, PL, EFLT, WSL & WPL clubs, educational establishments, etc. Help provide information on suitable exit routes if required. Authorise the application to go through to the next round of assessment by The FA. Receive 1000 fund from The FA and pass onto the club in two instalments; 500 at the beginning of the programme and 500 after eight weeks of delivery. Monitor the FA Girls Mini Soccer Centres and report any issues to The FA (Womens.Football@thefa.com). FA Support FA Skills Support can be accessed through the FA skills team. FA Skills are expert foundation phase coaches who have a good understanding and range of experiences with working with the novice girl, these coaches are ideally placed to share knowledge and best practise to help shape the sessions within your County. Team Leaders will be in contact with your CFA to share your expertise around: i. Who the novice girl is. ii. The environment needed for the novice girl and how to create it. iii. Share ideas around the ideal model for the pilot, day, timing etc. Webinar Support will be offered to successful centres via webinar workshops focussed around coaching the novice girl. Tool kit - Considerations for increasing participation in girls football (aged 5 11) Team talk - there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and discuss MSC via a MSC team talk group