Women’s football stars look to the future with UEFA A licence coaching course
Friday, May 24, 2024
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Some of English football’s top female players kicked off their coaching careers this week at the latest UEFA A licence course for long-serving professionals.
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The year-long course is organised and delivered by the English Football Association (FA), with support from UEFA, and has been tailored to fit around the playing schedules of current and former long-serving professionals.
This cohort, which includes former England captain Steph Houghton, Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema, Sweden goalkeeper Zećira Mušović and Scottish star Lisa Evans, have already completed UEFA B licence modules and are now working towards their A licence as they prepare for the next steps in their career.
The introductory two-day event at the FA's St George's Park training base covered a range of topics with on- and off-field sessions focused on strategies and tactics, physical and psychological aspects of the game.
With the increased professionalisation of women's football and the increased opportunities to coach within the game, the FA’s range of courses provide opportunities for all women to gain the appropriate qualifications to meet the demands of the game. The senior professional game UEFA A licence is one strand of support for female coaches.
Zećira Mušović, Chelsea and Sweden:
"Taking the UEFA A licence course is part of me becoming a leader. I want to develop every aspect of myself, become the best version of myself and the best possible leader I can be."
The group will now reconvene regularly between now and the end of the 2024/25 season, with each participant also set to gain practical coaching experience with professional clubs.
The partnership between the English FA and UEFA underscores a shared vision for increasing the number of female coaches in the game, as well as offering opportunities for top players to stay in the game and use their experience to help shape the next generation of talent. Through the UEFA Coach Development Programme for Women, participants receive financial support and scholarships to help them study for their coaching licence.
Lisa Evans, Bristol City and Scotland:
"My biggest motivation, pure and simple, is my love of the game. I want to bring everything I have learnt as a player into being a coach or some other aspect of football. Having done my UEFA B licence, I was keen to progress to my A licence, and the fact that UEFA has this scholarship programme has been a huge incentive to do the course, so I'm forever grateful for that opportunity.
"Everything on the course has been very well thought out and the people delivering the course have been exceptional."
Mark Swales, senior women’s coach development lead at the English FA:
"The senior pros' course is for current and former players to obtain their qualifications alongside coaching and playing. The players on this course have worked hard to obtain their qualifications while playing and are ready to step over the sideline as coaches to support the future generations of young female players.
"It’s brilliant to see so many players on this course who have had esteemed playing careers who can give back so much to the next generation of players. I hope this inspires many more current and former pros to take one of our courses."
What is UEFA's coach development programme for women?
The UEFA Coach Development Programme for Women provides a path to obtaining UEFA-certified coaching licences, whether for those taking their first steps in coaching or for experienced leaders already in the game.
By providing financial support and scholarships for candidates throughout Europe, the programme opens the door to ambitious female coaches who want to make their mark on women's football and help us continue to grow the game.
Since 2016, our coach development programme for women has helped more than 2,000 women gain a coaching licence.