We aim to recruit, retain, develop, reward and provide a progressive pathway for young leaders in order to develop a skilled football workforce for the future. The young person is placed at the heart of the Football Futures programme choosing what, where and how they wish to volunteer in football across 6 football themes. On an annual basis, over 4,000 young people will be provided with an opportunity to get involved in volunteering in football with development of life skills at the core of everything they do.
Who is the programme for?
The programme is available to any young person aged 14-22 who has an interest in getting involved in football leadership. This can be in a range at a school, college or university, attached to a charter standard club or league or other likeminded partner. Leaders can choose from a range of activities, from assisting with the coaching or running of a team, acting as the press officer for a junior league, developing a film to promote a new activity for young people to play, refereeing or being a Respect Ambassador, etc.
What are the benefits?
Through Football Futures, a young person will gain valuable experience and develop skills that can be applied to all disciplines. Leaders in the programme will be offered support to gain football related qualifications such as the Level 1 in coaching football or refereeing qualifications. Young Leaders can track their volunteer hours and get rewarded through The County FA, ISFA, British College Sport and British Universities and Colleges Football Development programmes at the following milestones;
10 Hours
25 Hours
50 Hours
75 Hours
100 Hours
125 Hours
150 Hours
175 Hours
200 Hours
Young Leaders can choose to volunteer in any of the following 6 themes:
1. Coaching and Working with Teams
Opportunities include coaching or working with a team in a college, school, Charter Standard Club or The FA club links programme. This can involve assisting an experienced coach, running one-off coaching sessions, working with a team on a regular basis in training and also on a match days.
2. Refereeing
Refereeing games within a club, school or college on a voluntary basis. Young Leaders can get involved in refereeing small –sided games, intra school football or choose to focus on 11v11 football and become part of the National Referee Development programme.
3. Running and Supporting Events
Assisting in the coordination and organisation of an event(s). It can be any kind of event from intra school football to regional/national tournaments.
4. Running and Developing the Game
Assisting in the running of a charter standard club or league or an intra school league. This can involve supporting the fixtures secretary, taking minutes at committee meetings or writing development plans to increase participation etc.
5. Promoting the Game
Many young leaders will probably have already been involved in promoting the game through volunteering activities and not even have realised it! For example, creating a Facebook group for your club, team or league? That is part of promoting the game. Running a website? Writing match reports? Photography? The Game Promotion strand of the Football Futures programme is designed to cater to these activities.
6. RESPECT Ambassador
Ensuring that all players have signed up to the Respect Codes of Conduct, putting up Respect barriers and ensuring that teams all understand the competition rules and regulations etc. This works to ensure that the club, league, school, college or university’s Respect practices are adhered to.
Football Futures – Young Leaders Journey
1. Register for Football Futures through County Football Association
2. Respect - Select MAIN Volunteering theme:
- Coaching and Working with Teams
- Refereeing
- Running Events
- Running and Developing the Game
- Promoting the Game
- Respect
3. Gain volunteering placement by County Football Association
- Get reward for volunteering hours
4. Opportunity to be selected to attend CFA Football FuturesLeadership Camp
5. Opportunity to be selected to attend The FA National Football Futures Camp
6. Opportunity to be selected for:
- National Management Team or BCS National Apprentices
- Changing Lives International Trip or BCS Lead Further International trip
- National Coaching Scholarship and Mentoring Programme
- Volunteering opportunities at National Events
- Football Futures National Ambassador
If you are a young volunteer and would like to know more about the scheme or to get involved at County level, or if you volunteer within a Club and know there are young volunteers assisting, then please contact Julia Ladbrooke on 01582 567718 or Email: julia.ladbrooke@bedfordshirefa.com
