Herts FA Delivers Junior Coaching Award to Support Active Local Areas

The delivery of the Junior Coach Award was made possible through the support of Hertfordshire Football Association (Herts FA), who worked in partnership with Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership's (HSP) Active Local team to remove barriers to access and ensure young people in Cowley Hill and Waltham Cross could take part in a high-quality coaching qualification.

The Junior Coach Award is aimed at 12–16-year-olds and showcases activities that junior coaches can deliver at their club, alongwith encouraging the coaches to create their own by working collaboratively with other course participants. The course also explores what a ‘good’ coach looks like, allowing participants to identify and reflect on their own positive attributes.

Both Active Local areas took different approaches to delivering the course, ensuring the best fit for each community. In Cowley Hill, the course was delivered at a local youth football club, while in Waltham Cross at a local secondary school. Both courses were a great success, with over 40 young people attending across the two sessions.

Danielle Evans, Coach Development Lead at Hertfordshire FA, commented:

“Hertfordshire FA were delighted to support the Active Local initiative by delivering the Junior Coach Award to Borehamwood Youth FC in Cowley Hill and Goffs Churchgate Academy in Waltham Cross.

The players were fantastic to work with and remained energetic and engaged throughout. It was great to hear from Borehamwood Youth FC that some participants gained the confidence to volunteer to run sessions and warm-ups just a few days after completing the course.

Instilling confidence and providing knowledge and skills to the next generation of coaches is vital to the preservation of grassroots football. We need great coaches to support young players, and we’re excited to help young people kick-start their coaching journey.”

The different approaches worked well in both areas and gave Active Local officers the opportunity to build stronger relationships with each organisation. Both partners were extremely grateful for the opportunity and welcomed similar connections and offers in the future.

Mr Richard Ashdown, Head of PE at Goffs Churchgate Academy, said:

“I was extremely grateful to the Active Local team for enabling our Level 3 Sports Leaders to take their first steps into football coaching through the Junior Football Coaching Award. The coaches from Herts FA were highly engaging and provided excellent tips and feedback to help our students build both their skill set and confidence in delivering football coaching sessions.

The programme also supported the development of transferable skills that can be applied when coaching a wide range of activities. This has been a valuable experience for their ongoing Level 3 Sports Leaders qualification and will hopefully support them in moving into coaching roles within their community.”

Doug Burton, Borehamwood Youth FC Club Development Officer, added:

“Our boys and girls really enjoyed the opportunity to gain their first coaching award during a very engaging and fun day. The two lead FA coaches, Becky and Cathryn, were fantastic and have inspired our young people to begin their own coaching journeys. Thank you to HSP and Herts FA for their continued support of our club and players.”

These courses form part of the Active Local workforce delivery, supporting clubs and organisations in Cowley Hill and Waltham Cross to access workforce development opportunities. The programme would not have been possible without the continued support and collaboration of Hertfordshire FA, whose commitment to developing the next generation of coaches has helped create meaningful pathways for young people within their local communities. To learn more about HSP’s Active Local work and find out how to get involved, visit www.sportinherts.org.uk/active-local.