Both Molly and Becky encourage players on the side-lines by advising them which passes to make, saying ‘well done’ when they score a goal or saying ‘don’t worry’ when they make a mistake – helping them remember that the Development squad is mostly about having fun and even if a team loses it doesn’t matter […]
Both Molly and Becky encourage players on the side-lines by advising them which passes to make, saying ‘well done’ when they score a goal or saying ‘don’t worry’ when they make a mistake – helping them remember that the Development squad is mostly about having fun and even if a team loses it doesn’t matter too much as the main point is to have a good time whilst playing football. By Weronika Lecka, French and Spanish, First Year
‘Indoor football session led by the Women’s Football Club. Friendly session open to players of all levels!’
The sessions are run just as any usual football training sessions would be led, however the main difference is that they are run indoors, so players would need to have indoor football shoes or trainers. UBWFC volunteer coaches Molly Kane and Becky coach the team by preparing drills and encouraging the development team to play their best. I also volunteer by mainly setting up cones for drills, handing out bibs and refereeing the small-sided matches or participating in them if the numbers are uneven. Through this, we hope to become a familiar face for the development team to encourage them to play their best and enjoy their time playing football, as Molly often asks at the start of the session: ‘Have we got any new faces today?’ trying to make the new players feel comfortable and welcome if it is their first time attending a football training session.
‘We are looking for someone from the club to coach the development team sessions’
The University of Bristol currently offers 4 BUCS teams for those who want to play competitive football against other universities, but if someone doesn’t want to commit or simply wants to play football in a social way, then there is also the option of joining the Development squad. They offer free training sessions in the Indoor Sports Centre every Tuesday from 5-6pm and in order to participate, players need to book a space on the UOB Active App, and provide their UCard upon arrival to confirm their attendance. There are limited spaces for these sessions, so booking on the app is important, as there is not enough space in the sports hall to accommodate large numbers. Featured images: University of Bristol Women’s Football Club Development team captain Emily often leads the warm-up, then the players take part in drills such as dribbling in and out of cones, sprinting with the ball, passing to teammates and doing some kicks ups as well. There are many opportunities for players to get to meet new people and practice their football skills, without the added pressure of BUCS.
‘The university can fund your Level One coaching qualification alongside this which is valuable for CVs’
These training sessions have been a great opportunity for students to play football in a fun and social way, but also have allowed UBWFC players to earn coaching experience. With the help of Gamechangers, Molly Kane has been completing her FA Level 1 Coaching course and these sessions have allowed her to gain useful coaching experience and put the skills that she has learnt into practice. I am planning to start my course in January, so these sessions have been beneficial as they have given me an insight into what coaching is like, and have also helped me gain valuable experience for the Bristol PLUS Award.
‘Everyone played amazingly!’ – Molly Kane
In order to play for this team, a £50 membership fee is required but it covers the cost of the whole year and provides access to any whole club training that UBWFC has on Sundays. Also, the development team are welcome to take part in the UBWFC Wednesday socials, alongside any parties that the club host such as the most recent club Christmas dinner on Sunday 2nd December 2024. The team also may host events of their own, as captain Emily has offered to host a Development team Christmas dinner before the end of TB1.
We’ve developed so much since week 1 – the devs have grown stronger as a team for sure. I think the main thing for us is just having fun, learning, growing both as individuals, players and as part of a team. This term of training and matches has definitely reflected this!! Super proud of the devs! – Development team captain Emily
Women’s football is growing at UoB and this is evident through the UBWFC social development team. Every Tuesday, they train at the Indoor Sports centre with the help of some UBWFC volunteer coaches and B:Active. These sessions are open to female students at all levels wanting to play social football without the BUCS competition Here is how I have found coaching the UBWFC Development squad and why you should follow or even take part in them.At the end of every session there are small-sided matches for players to gain more match experience whilst also getting to know more people in the group. Every week, the group is split into different teams so everyone gets to play with each other, allowing for an even mix of abilities so that players can learn from each other and have fun, building teamwork and communication skills. For anyone up for the challenge, the Development team play 7-aside matches on Saturdays. Their first match was on Saturday 5th October, which ended 5-2 and it was great to see the Development team start their season with a win. In their following matches, they lost 1-2 and then most recently 3-0, however captain Emily has said that the scores don’t reflect their efforts as a team and that there are about 7 or 8 games planned for the coming year – so many more opportunities to get involved!
Overall, it must be said that as women’s football becomes more popular in England and across the world, we can see the same increase in popularity here at UoB. More and more female students want to get involved with football, regardless of their abilities and previous experience, and at UBWFC there are constantly new ways of playing football being introduced in order to accommodate the high demand. As a result, we should watch this space and we may see more teams being introduced into BUCS, and more social football being introduced for people to enjoy. If anyone wants to play regular football without the commitment or competition of BUCS, but also make new friends in a football environment, joining the development team is the perfect place for them.
