The Boot Room Issue 02 December 2011

Bridging the gap

The FA Girls’ Talent Development Pathway

Hope Powell’s women’s team exited last summer’s World Cup in Germany via the lottery of a penalty shoot-out; the width of a crossbar hindering progress to the Semi-Finals.

FA Project manager for Girls’ football and U15 Head Coach, Kay Cossington, tells The Boot Room about the work being done to help a future generation of girls make up the inches needed to capture silverware.

Kay Cossington profile

Kay Cossington is The FA National Project Southern National Division Championship Manager for Women’s football and Head and two Cup finals, Cossington moved to Coach of the England U15 side. Before Millwall Lionesses, as first team coach. joining The FA, Kay played for West Ham As part of her role Cossington was also United Ladies FC, and aged 19 went responsible for the Centre of Excellence on to manage the senior team for nine and Millwall Girls Academy. years. After leading the Hammers’ to the 22 | 23 “Without great coaches and great support staff we won’t get great players.”

Lorrie Doze in action for England U15s against Norway Close, but just not quite close enough. Consecutive World Cup Quarter Final appearances (2007 & 2011) and a European Championship Final defeat to Germany (2009) is proof of England Women’s steady ascent in the International game. The gap between contenders and silverware, however, is one still to be bridged.

This summer saw an overhaul of The FA Girls’ Centre of Excellence programme, a move which aims to improve the quality of the women’s and girls’ game at every level. Previously 52 centres around the country fell under the Centre of Excellence banner, providing a development programme for girls between 8 and 16 years of age. Although the structure provided many benefits, it was felt talent was increasingly diluted.

“When the U15 international squads came to us, they were lacking various parts of their individual development, whether that was technical, tactical or physiological. The jump between the Centres of Excellence and international football was far too big. The jobs we were doing at International level were really what should have been going on at Centres of Excellence” explained Kay Cossington, FA Project manager for Girls’ football and U15 Head Coach.

A detailed review of the system highlighted the necessity to bridge the gaps between the various layers of the game. In order to address the dilution of talent at Elite level, the start of the season saw the number of Centres reduced to 30 and a new three-tiered approach adopted. 24 | 25

“It was quite evident that there were far too many centres and not enough talent. The word ‘excellence’ was being used quite loosely,” added Cossington, What is a Player who outlined the plans for a more co-ordinated approach including: Player Development Centre? Development Centres (PDC’s), the Centres of Excellence (CofE) and the Elite A Player Development Centre Performance Camps (EPC’s). (PDC) is a local County FA run centre for U11, U13, U15 & U17 The thirty centres awarded a licence for the 2011/12 season were subject to (optional) age groups. Players a stringent application and review process. Evidence of sta«ng, supporting gain access to the PDC through a trial process organised and programmes, facilities, funding and infrastructures had to be displayed; delivered by the County FA. measures Cossington believes are integral if the programme is going to move Having played school and towards the highly coveted mark of excellence. grassroots football, the PDC is the next step of The FA girls’ “In ten or fifteen years time it would be great to have 50 Centres of Excellence. talent pathway. Players can be But we want to ensure they are all true ‘excellence’ programmes. Throughout nominated for trials by their the review process it was evident that everyone agreed that we had to go teacher or grassroots coach when backwards to go forwards.” it is appropriate for the player’s development. Geographical location also played an important role in assigning the licenses. What is a Centre of Player data was collected in order to highlight areas of talent, with centre licenses distributed accordingly. Excellence? A Centre of Excellence (COE) is an The restructuring process is one The FA admit hasn’t been easy, but one that enhanced coaching centre for U9, is necessary for the future of the game. With two licenses still to be assigned U11,U13, U15 & U17 age groups. next season, Cossington and her colleagues will be assessing which areas of the Players gain access to the COE country are in need of a centre. through a trial process organised and delivered by the local “It was very di«cult. There was a structured and robust programme and organisations such as County criteria. It was an open application process first and foremost, and that’s the FAs, educational establishments first time that has happened. Previously, the 52 Centres just applied for their and football club community own licences and we wouldn’t have invited applicants from outside the Centre programmes. Having played of Excellence programme,” she added. schools, grassroots, and possibly PDC football the next step of Working in partnership with the County FA’s, the new structure puts an The FA girls’ talent pathway is emphasis on supporting the grassroots game more e‹ectively. The aim is a Centre of Excellence. Players a better quality of player entering the Centre of Excellence system from will be accepted into a Centre of the outset. Closer partnerships will see clubs giving something back to Excellence when it is appropriate the grassroots game with free in-service events as well as guest coaching for the player’s development. sessions. An open evening at each centre, encouraging grassroots players and coaches to learn about the philosophy of a Centre of Excellence, is What is an Elite also mandatory. Former Centre’s of Excellence will continue to support the Performance Camp? programme providing football in the grassroots game, further strengthening An Elite Performance Camp the base of the pyramid. (EPC) is in place to support elite female footballers at the U15 Silverware success hasn’t, however, been wholly elusive as a result of the age group. Players gain access to former player development structure. In Belarus, in 2009, England’s U19 side the EPC through a ‘selection day’ won the European Championship, a team grown from Centre of Excellence delivered by FA sta‹ at regional schooling. It is the majority of the current senior side, however, that missed venues. Having played Centre of out on the benefits of the support structures and development those in Excellence football, the next step of The FA girls’ talent pathway today’s game enjoy. A new breed, however, is beginning to emerge. is an EPC for those players that show international potential at U15 level. Players will be accepted into an EPC when it is appropriate for the player’s development. “In ten or fifteen years time it would be great to have 50 Centres of Excellence. But we want to ensure they are all true ‘excellence’ programmes.” “We’re just now seeing the players go through [to the Senior side]: Sophie Bradley, Jess Clarke, Claire Ra‹erty and Gilly Flaherty all came through the Centre of Excellence and then the Youth international structure. But at the absolute top end, when you’re talking about Faye White’s era, the infrastructure wasn’t there then,” added the U15s Head Coach.

“It’ll be interesting, in ten year’s time, to see some of the current U15 players, those that make it into the seniors, to see if they are better equipped and how much more developed they are.”

Cossington is quick to stress that the longer term development of players is dependent on the calibre of sta‹ recruited into the programme. Developing better coaches in the girls game is central to the evolving ethos. “The word ‘excellence’ was being used quite loosely”

How long will it take to see an impact on “I came away refreshed” the national team? “I think it’s really di«cult to put a timeframe on it. A lot of the current senior Hope Powell, England Women’s players came through the previous Centre National Coach of Excellence programme, so with the restructure – which we believe is a better format – we should really see a better quality of young player progress through the age-groups.

I do think we are already starting to see improvement. I went to see the U15s recently and I came away refreshed. There is some talent there. Physically they look better and technically they look like they’re competent with the ball at their 26 | 27

“This year we’ve put together a stringent in-service CPD programme [for Where does the Centre of coaches], which is a national programme, covering all areas of the game. All Excellence fit in the new the sta‹ at the Centres of Excellence have the chance to learn from FA National girls’ talent pathway? sta‹. We will share our experiences with them and work with them on our expectations for a Centre of Excellence. Without great coaches and great England U19/U20/U23 support sta‹ we won’t get great players.”

England U15/U17 Squad School/college activity With the new talent pathway very much in its infancy, it is too early to make continues throughout any judgements about the impact on creating great players. There are, FA Elite Performance Camps (New) however, encouraging signs of development.

“Already this season, we’ve seen the benefits in the standard of players. The FA Girls’ Centre of Excellence players we’ve selected for the [England] U15 age-group already look much fitter, more capable and they’re psychologically more stable,” enthused Cossington. FA Player Development Centre (New)

The gap is beginning to be bridged. Local Grassroots Football and FA Tesco Skills Programme

feet and more comfortable. In comparison What is being done to improve the quality How will the national set-up work in to other nations we’ve always lacked on of the coaches in the centres? partnership with the Centres of Excellence physical presence so we have to ensure We’ll do a series of in-service events to develop international players? our ball manipulation skills are of a focusing on international philosophy. What we’re trying to do is be very open high standard. This will include the practical and with the international philosophies. We theory elements required to coach at want the club’s and coaches to appreciate What we have to ensure now is that they international level. what we do and why we’re doing it. I’m stay in the system, because we will have sure they want their players to play players who drop out. We have to take When you talk about preparing players international football, so we want them to into account early developers and late for an international match, you’re not just embrace what we’re doing and if they’ve developers and all of these things. talking about advancing them technically. got any good ideas we’re happy to take A lot of the preparation concerns the them on board. We want it to be a two-way tactical aspects of the game, so we aim communication where we help the centres to build a programme that will allow the and they help us. coaches to develop their knowledge, so they can disseminate the information to their players.