THE FA have entered a new four-year period in which they plan to improve Grassroots football in England from 2024 to 2028.
Throughout this period, they plan to focus on five key areas, opportunities, equality, facilities, tackling behaviour, and volunteers.
This will include, improved playing surfaces, more female clubs, and rewarding the important work that volunteers carry out.
Volunteers in particular are crucial to the survival of the sport in England.
In the FA’s last period between 2020 and 2024, it was estimated that over one million volunteers were involved in football with 160,000 of those being coaches and 37,000 being referees.
One of those coaches is John Conti who is involved with the Hiltingbury Hurricanes u18 side and was asked about why he volunteers at his club.
Conti said: “The main thing is for the players; football teaches them some quite good lessons.
“I enjoy the organisation of the football and to see what you put in practice on the training pitch on a match day.”
25% of volunteers in football feel underappreciated in the role they take on and is one of the main reasons they quit the sport that they love.
This feeling of underappreciation is looking to be rectified by the FA in their new plan by providing learning and development for volunteers to fulfil their roles.
Without having the foundation of grassroots football in England the game at the professional level will suffer.
Providing equal opportunities within communities and enhancing the lives of volunteers will create a healthier football pyramid as well as improving the enjoyment of those participating in the amateur game.
