Background
I came to the College off the back of some average GCSEs. I was just starting out on my coaching journey working locally delivering one to one sessions. I wasn’t a particularly gifted footballer and the college provided an opportunity for me to study the game I loved so much while still getting to play it in a somewhat full time environment. The College opened my horizons in terms of the various fields that I could go into in order to be involved with the game. I’d say I was very narrow minded, seeing a job in the game as playing or nothing. I was able to develop a real passion for coaching and the College allowed me to begin my coaching journey with my badges as well as develop the foundations of an understanding in various other fields of the game.
After college I enrolled straight on to the UCS university programme. This was another opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge and understanding of sports coaching and how to be utilise such skills in my own coaching. The university allowed me to manage a job in football at the same time as coaching in the NWCFL at Chadderton and gaining another qualification. The university allowed me to really dive into the science behind the coaching exploring various other coaching/ leadership styles that I could use in my coaching sessions back at the club or in my own 1-1 sessions.
Next Steps
When I left the university programme, I was coaching for Salford city U18s Goalkeepers as well as with Manchester United Women U21s and was part of the coaching staff that achieved the first ever League and cup double at female youth level, coaching players that have gone on to achieve full international caps.
I am currently the Burnley Women’s 1st team goalkeeper coach working out of the training ground in Padiham. We are working to win the league this year which would see us promoted to the Women’s Championship in tier 2 of the women’s football pyramid