What Is The FA Step Into Sport Programme?
The FA Step into Sport (SIS) programme is aimed at developing the next generation of football volunteers. The programme tries to enthuse, retain and develop young volunteers regardless of their background, gender or level of ability. The programme targets young people aged 14 to 19 and aims to develop them into young leaders within football.
The programme works in partnership with Sports Leaders UK, Youth Sport Trust, Sport England, schools, Charter Standard Clubs and other appropriate organisations and agencies. It’s open to all young people who have undertaken either a Level One Award in Sports Leadership (JSLA), Level Two Award in Sports Leadership (CSLA), Junior Football Organiser (JFO) course or a Level One Football Coaching Certificate.
Having completed one of these qualifications, young people are then able to sign into the FA SIS programme. Through the programme they gain a placement within a football environment (at a local Charter Standard club, through their school in football-related sessions or with a Football Foundation-funded project) where they can volunteer on a regular basis and put the skills learned on the course into practice. All of the hours that the Young Leaders volunteer are accredited by The FA, with each receiving an certificate at 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 hours of volunteering.
Is There a Pathway from Club Level Then To County, Regional and National Levels?
To help with the development of young leaders Essex County FA are developing a pathway for Young Leaders to go from volunteering at a club level in Essex through to attending the annual FA National Young Leaders Camp. The pathway will be:
* To sign-up to SIS and begin volunteering at a Charter Standard Club, within your school through football-based sessions or through a Football Foundation-funded project anywhere across the County
* To attend the Essex County FA Young Leaders County Event
* Six young leaders from the County event will then be selected to attend the East Region Young Leaders Camp
* Two Young leaders from the six will then be selected to attend the National Young Leaders Camp
* From the National Young Leaders Camp, two to four Young Leaders will then be selected to attend a week-long placement in a foreign country where, along with FA Staff, they will visit a foreign community and assist with delivering football sessions
How Do I Get Involved in the Programme?
Young people need to have gained any of the qualifications previously mentioned, then they can simply complete the FA Step into Sport Starter Form. This form can be downloaded from the website. The form then needs to be returned to:
Dan Bates, Essex County FA, Springfield Lyons Approach, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 5LB
Once this has been received, a Starter Pack will be sent containing all the information they require to start their volunteering. Each SIS placement will also require a contact person who will oversee the placement at the club, school or FF project. This can be a teacher, club secretary, team manager or the FF project manager or any other appropriate person. This person will be responsible for monitoring the SIS placement (with support from the ECFA).
What are the Benefits of Joining?
The benefits of joining the SIS programme are numerous:
* FA-accredited recognition of voluntary work at 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 hours
* Membership to a SIS Young Leader Forum which will meet between two and four times a year and include training and development events
* A reward programme of kit, equipment and a bursary towards further coaching qualifications. This will include: 10 hours completed = certificate, * 25 hours completed = certificate, 50 Hours completed = a £20 bursary towards a Level One or Level Two coaching qualification and a Young Leader polo shirt, 100 Hours = a coaches pack including a bag of balls, cones and bibs and a Young Leader Umbro tracksuit, 200 Hours = two tickets to a professional football match in Essex.
Will There Be Any Support Available for Me?
There will be ongoing support from the ECFA through the SIS Young Leaders Forum. This will meet between two to four times a year and represent an opportunity for all the Young Leaders from Essex to get together for training, development and support events. These will focus on the practical and theoretical aspects of leadership such as developing coaching and refereeing skills, disability football, Futsal and many more.
The Forum will also represent an opportunity for the Young Leaders to get together and exchange ideas, best practice and different experiences to support one another. The Forum will give the Young Leaders across the County to voice feedback and their thoughts, opinions and views on how young leadership should be shaped in the future.
Who Are The Existing Young Leaders And What Have They Achieved So Far?
We have a number of SIS Young Leaders across the County who have each achieved a variety of individual goals. They are listed below, along with the number of hours they have volunteered for so far:
Ben Hawkins - 74 hours
Ian Cornell - 106 hours
Jade Haron - 33.5 hours
Josephine Ribet - 31 hours
Matt Dibble - 30 hours
Reece Barrett - 66 hours
Taylor Ward - 100 hours