The University of Warwick Women’s Football and Futsal Club has had an incredible 2024/25 season. A key highlight this year was the female and non-binary coaching project, which was delivered by myself as Vice President, club President Aimee Corr, and members of the Warwick Sport team. The project used £2,500 of funding from BUCS to develop 23 student coaches in the game, 13 of whom gained a coaching qualification for the first time. This means around one in seven of the club’s 140-strong membership are now qualified coaches. 100% of the participants engaged in at least one activity in the project, a testament to the participants’ commitment and the demand for accessible football coaching opportunities to be available to women and girls. Three of the project’s participants took part in Cohort 6 of the BUCS Women’s Leadership Programme this season, and four further participants will be members of Cohort 7, where they will get the opportunity to further enhance their personal development and grow their network in football. Next season, five of the coaches qualified through the programme will coach weekly Wildcats sessions hosted by a partner club, enhancing the positive impact and sustainability of the project: not only on the participants and UWWFC, but also the wider local community. 

Celebrating the achievements of the 2024/25 season at the FA Leadership Academy (FALA) graduation in July was the perfect culmination of this year’s successes. The ceremony, organised by the FA National Youth Council, was such an inspiring and welcoming event to be a part of. Surrounded by the FALA 24 graduates and new participants at the ceremony, I was reminded of the impact that football carries beyond the pitch.

It was a huge honour for UWWFC’s executive committee to win the Youth Leadership Team Award, thanks to the BUCS Football Development Team’s nomination. Our committee is entirely student-led, and the first non-County FA or Youth Council to win an award at this event. Beyond the coaching project, this year our committee worked hard, alongside their studies, to cultivate a welcoming, inclusive and empowering club culture which the award also recognises.

The event’s theme of ‘Legacy’ was a fitting concept to return to throughout the ceremony and to mark the end of the season. Now as an alumni of both the University of Warwick and UWWFC, I hope that beyond the achievement of this award, the 2024/25 committee has left a legacy to inspire future club members and other university clubs to pursue more than football for their members. Hearing the inspirational stories of so many FALA participants at the graduation ceremony, and their aspirations to carry out similar projects to the coaching initiative at Warwick, is a testament to the greater impact which university clubs are now having on the football and youth leadership space. I can’t wait to see the impact that clubs in the higher education space continue to have in future seasons. 

Thank you so much to the FA, FANYC, BUCS, Warwick Sport, and the 2024/25 committee of UWWFC for all of their support and dedication this season.