Could more women Bend it like Beckham? 15 inspirational Asian women achieve FA level 1 coaching award

Women’s football in Redbridge and surrounding boroughs should shortly start reaping the benefits of having fifteen newly qualified Asian women coaches in the borough.

In a bid to help tackle low levels of sporting participation among female minority ethnic groups in the London Borough of Redbridge, 2017 saw Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure work with a coalition of leading sports bodies and partners and in collaboration with Muslimah Sports Association (MSA) to successfully support 15 Asian women through a 6-month project resulting in them achieving their level 1 FA coaching award.

Yashmin Harun, Chair of MSA, attributes the success of the project to the commitment of all the partners involved who were able to create a tailored course providing targeted support to this group of women enabling them to develop their specialist football coaching skills.

The MSA were proud to be involved with such a pioneering project which has resulted in more ethnic minority female coaches for London. It is hoped that as a result of this course, Asian women will feel empowered to push the boundaries and try football and other sports.

Pictured: Yashmin Harun, Chair of Muslimah Sports Association and
Mark Healy, Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure

Special thanks go to London Sport and the Essex FA for championing the project and to the FA and the Black, Asian Coaches Association for their support.

London Sport’s Specialist Advisor for Workforce, Dean Nevill was delighted with the success of the project and said that he hoped this can now be adapted as a model to support more people across the whole of London to become community champions of physical activity, and contribute to a more active London now, and in the future.

Andrew Crowl, Coaching Development Officer from the Essex FA was looking forward to supporting these ladies on their continuing coaching journey, whilst Cindi Chatha, Equality & Inclusion Officer felt that the ladies were not only inspiring to others within their community, but are role models to the next generation of females from a BAME background.  She hopes that reading about this will inspire others to actively participate within football.

Watch this space to find out how our newly qualified coaches are faring as they take their first steps into sport coaching!

For more information visit London Sport or the Essex FA

Post Author: Mark Healy, Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure