Friday , March 29 2024

Kelly Simmons to discuss The FA’s National Game Strategy at Soccerex!

SoccerexThe FA’s Director of Participation and Development, Kelly Simmons MBE will be discussing the FA’s National Game Strategy in the Love Football Zone at the Soccerex Global Convention, September 26-28 in Manchester. Kelly has been involved with the FA for almost 20 years and has been a driving force in developing grassroots football. With the plan being one year into its four year tenure, Kelly will be giving an insight into what has been achieved so far, and how the strategy will continue to progress football across many different levels within the future.

Kelly’s position at The FA includes oversight of youth football, grassroots and semi-professional game. She is also a member of the UEFA Grassroots Panel and the FIFA Women’s Committee, which outlines plans for women’s football, including the development of the semi professional FA Women’s Super League. Her role and passion for grassroots sees her as leading personnel in developing and implementing the National Game Strategy, and her work across football saw her receive an MBE in 2002.

One of the main key points from the National Game Strategy is the investment of over £260m into the game over the course of the current four year plan. The funding put in place has an aim to help support grassroots football and develop the game from the core. There have been four key target areas identified within the strategy; facilities, coaching, participation and developing the football workforce. A big push for this is developing the younger generation’s passion for the game and supplying top quality coaches and facilities. Female youth participation levels are also a target, with a drive of wanting to increase this by 11%. With a successful FIFA World Cup 2015 campaign for the England Ladies team by finishing third, this could have a potential knock on effect to the younger age bracket to get involved in football.

Another major aim for the National Game Strategy is to improve the football workforce. The plan includes making sure across the game there is consistency with highly qualified referees. Kelly’s informative discussion on The FA’s scheme at The Soccerex Global Convention will give an understanding to where the position of the strategy is right now, and how it will be implemented across football within the years to come.

The Global Convention as a whole is designed to deliver unique business insight across a variety of key sectors and subject matters ranging from sponsorship and fan engagement to technological innovations and stadium development.

About Arunava Chaudhuri

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