GIRLS FOOTBALL

Funded by a Football Foundation and London Marathon Charitable Trust revenue grant, Sally Dolan was appointed as part time Girls Mini Soccer Co-ordinator in October 2002. Based at the London Marathon Playing Field in Greenwich, Sally’s role is to provide creative solutions in stimulating and then sustaining participation in girls mini soccer. Sally brings a wealth of experience as well as tremendous energy and innovation to the job and in a short period of time has achieved excellent results. Her pioneering work with girls football has been recognised by the Football Association and the London Marathon Playing Field model is used as an example of good practice.

Linking in with a network of key providers and other agencies including Inner London Schools FA, London Active Partnership, Charlton Athletic Football in the Community and Centre of Excellence, CARE Partnership, Eltham Green Specialist Sports College, London FA, SELKENT and Bexley Youth Leagues and the London Borough of Greenwich, Sally has implemented a programme that takes girls from their first coaching experience to playing in organised leagues. The Saturday morning clinic provides structured coaching sessions for girls of all abilities and experience combined with appropriate match experience. Encouraging numbers of girls have graduated from this Saturday morning clinic to form girls sections in local football clubs and some of the more talented players have been recruited to the Charlton Athletic Centre of Excellence.

Running parallel to this work for young players is a programme of training and education for volunteers who are crucial to the future health of the grassroots game. Activities include courses in Level 1 Coaching Certificate, Referees Training, Mini soccer referees, Child Protection, funding and club development.

In addition Sally also links up with representative footballing bodies to stage large festival at the ground, the most recent of which was a county girls festival organised in May for 700 girls in partnership with London Playing Fields Foundation, Inner London Schools FA and London Active Partnership.