A huge amount of work has gone in behind the scenes to create a range of resources that will help support parents on their journey supporting their daughters.

All parents involved in the pathway will be given access to a customised website platform including all the exclusive content created here at WWPIS alongside specific content from the Lioness Player Pathway.

They will also be given a customised copy of ‘Sports Performance Parenting’ which will help to enhance the delivery of both live and virtual sessions that will be running across the age groups.

Live sessions get underway this month in Gloucester and York and we are very much looking forward to meeting over 100 parents across both the North and the South of the country.

CEO Gordon MacLelland said, ‘This is such an exciting project and I am delighted that we are working with the FA to offer support across the Lioness Player Pathway. We all need support in creating the best environments for our young people to thrive and this will add another strand to the outstanding work already taking place. We are committed to working alongside parents and harnessing feedback along the way to help make this the best and most impactful parent programme in women’s football in the world. This can only happen through collaboration, the sharing of ideas from multiple departments and an expertise in understanding the realities of being a sports parent in such a unique environment.’

Vicky Cheshire, Player Education & Lifestyle Lead (England Women’s Teams) at The Football Association, added ‘We’re excited to partner with WWPIS to build on the fantastic work across the Lioness Player Pathway. By collaborating, sharing ideas, and understanding the realities of being a sports parent, we’re providing an extra layer of support to help parents navigate and actively support their daughters’ football journey.’

These numbers continue to rise, and we are looking forward to visiting a whole host of new clubs over the next couple of months.

This is testament to the impact of the work and the feedback that we have received which has allowed us to tailor our support for a whole host of stakeholders within these environments.

‘We have used WWPIS for several years now to support the development and education of our parents and coaches within the Academy. The workshops are valuable to our area within player care to aid more awareness to work more effectively with parents within the academy programme. Gordon and his team bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and practical based learning which helps with supporting our young players on their journey at our club.   

Mike Scott (Head of Coach Development, Wolverhampton Wanderers)

There is so much excellent work going on across many clubs in what are unique environments and the importance of clubs, coaches, parents, and young players being able to work together effectively so that these young players fulfil their potential both in and out of their sport can never be underestimated.

Clubs have run some incredible events for parents this season across all age groups and it has been a privilege to be part of these.

Induction evening at Bet365 Stadium, Stoke City

Our partnership with League Football Education continues to go from strength to strength and their support in this space has been crucial to the continued growth of our work.

Every club across the football league has access to a live or virtual session each season and parents are also given access to a customised WWPIS platform.

By being a member of the platform, parents, coaches and children can access all of the exclusive WWPIS content including blogs, videos, podcasts, expert interviews, webinars and downloadable resources as well as support and information from League Football Education.

CEO Gordon MacLelland said, ‘Our work across football has been well received, not just from our work with parents but also the work we have done with coaches and academy management. Ultimately, we all need to work together to help provide the best possible experiences and environments for young people so they can thrive both on and off the field. The continued growth of our programmes will continue to help us to achieve this.’

Simon Williams Life Skills Manager LFE said, ‘We are delighted to build on the partnership with WWPIS and be able to provide more support to the network of parents and carers across EFL academies. It becomes ever clearer that education and support should not start and end with children alone. Parents and carers are an equal part of the experience and guidance on how to manage opportunities and experiences of the academy system needs more exposure. The workshop delivery from WWPIS has received powerful feedback and is having a clear impact.’

They discussed all things football across a range of different levels and how with a greater self-awareness we can all be better as parents and coaches in helping our children and players on their development journeys. We hope you enjoy the interview.

https://thecoachingbadgespodcast.buzzsprout.com/1438651/13212212

(WARNING: This podcast contains material which is upsetting)

Season 3 of the ‘Parents in Sport Podcast’ gets underway as former professional footballer Paul Stewart and Gordon MacLelland discuss a life in football, living through child abuse and helping support parents in protecting their own children.

Paul suffered horrific abuse as a child by a youth football coach, which led him to an adult life of drink, drugs and suicidal thoughts. Paul’s story was featured in BBC1’s “Football’s Darkest Secret”.

His story is one of the most powerful stories you will hear, but it will bring hope as he still managed to succeed despite his experience.

During the conversation they discuss amongst other things:

• Paul’s memories of professional football
• Comparing todays academy environments to days gone by
• The importance of developing people as well as footballers in academy environments
• The fine line between expectation and pressure
• Parents feeling empowered to have a voice in the journey of their children without the fear of negative ramifications
• Giving children a voice in the process and asking great questions
• Being groomed as a young footballer
• Suffering sexual abuse as a child by his coach for 4 years
• The long term effect of child abuse including drink and drugs, depression and suicidal thoughts
• Breaking the news to his family and elderly parents 
• The joy at helping and supporting young people and parents in his current role
• The importance of parents asking the right questions before leaving their prized possessions in other people’s care
• Keeping an eye on your children’s personality and any significant changes in their demeanour and the language they use
• The importance of everyone involved in sport having a voice and being open and transparent

Paul now works as a safeguarding advocate, talking openly and honestly about the impact abuse had on his life.  He now works within football for the EFL and Premiership education in helping academy players and staff to cope with the pressure that football brings.

To find out more about Paul’s safeguarding work and details about his learning course click here.

If you would like to read Paul’s story ‘Damaged’ then click here.

They dig deep into life in football academies discussing the key role that parents have to play and the support that we need to give them as organisations and coaches in order for them to do this role effectively.

They discuss how to get the conversation started on this challenging subject and question how often parents/staff may be working against each other.

Communication is key and they dig into how to establish, maintain and foster excellent communication between each key stakeholder.

To listen to this podcast featuring Gordon and Lee click here.

The equality of males and females in football has always been a delicate subject. From 1921 to 1971, women were banned from playing on FA pitches. Women’s football was not added to the Olympic programme until as late as 1996.

However, recently we have seen a rapid rise in the number of female participants. According to UEFA, the number of professional and semi-professional players in Europe more than doubled between 2013 and 2017, from 1,680 to 3,572. It has since risen again by 50%. Along with participation, the interest in the girl’s game has grown as a whole. UEFA recorded a cumulative live TV audience of 3.52m people for the Women’s Champions League in 2016. This was a huge step forward for women’s football and the advance of females in sport as a whole.

As the largest grassroots football school in Switzerland,  we understand that it can be daunting for girls, older or younger, to join a team and start playing football, so we have gathered a few of tips on how to spark their interest in football and keep them motivated when playing.

Spend time educating young boys & girls about women’s football

Equality should be something that is taught to children as soon as they set foot into the world of sport. Often it is from a young age that boys start to complain about playing with girls, become reluctant to pass the ball to girls and want to play on different teams because they think they are better than girls. It is important to teach children that girls have as much right to play football as boys, regardless of their current level.

Make training enjoyable, fun & competitive

Sport is such a powerful tool for engaging youngsters and by putting the focus on fun, it will hopefully allow girls to fall in love with the game and want to remain involved with it for a long time. Competition is appealing to girls and by keeping this competitive aspect fun, it will keep girls engaged in the training.

Welcome all abilities at all ages including beginners

Girls often start to play football much later than boys and for this reason it is important for girls, as much as boys, to feel welcome, regardless of their age or skill set. It is clear that a girl aged 14 joining a team will not be at the same level as a girl who has played since she was 6. However, both of these girls have potential to develop into great players, and both are entitled to a chance to play.

Make sure there are adapted facilities

It is not solely what happens on the pitch that can motivate the girls. Simple things, such as providing a dedicated changing area, will make them feel like they are given equal chances as boys, and that they have a right to be there and to play football. A club that offers basic facilities for both boys and girls will leave the players with an overall feeling of equality.

Ensure there are female coaches

It is daunting enough for anyone to start a new sport, but if we want to encourage girls to start or continue playing football, it is important to ensure that advice and training are also coming from other females whom they can relate to.

Be positive by reflecting progress in improvement and quality

Show girls that they are improving. They might not be aware of the progress they are making, especially if they lack experience in relation to other children on the team. Offer all players regular feedback on their effort and performance.

Set realistic goals

As a key motivation technique, try setting short, medium or long-term goals in order to have a final outcome to visualise while aiming for improvement and consistency. When setting the goals, make sure they are realistic, can be easily measured and that you take time to track them..

 Celebrate small successes

After having set goals that can be reached, it is important to celebrate each success, small or big, for individuals or for the team. This will keep motivation at a high level as well as continuing to encourage players to keep setting personal and team ambitions.

This article was written by Rebecca Brown who is a Marketing & Business Masters Student at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and a former footballer who played for Haut-Lac International Bilingual School and St Légier.