September saw the return of ‘Youth League Month’, a previously-popular event organised by the Essex County FA Coach Education Department, where a series of workshops were hosted in collaboration with youth leagues, aimed at equipping new coaches with the skills needed to foster inclusive, positive environments for young footballers.

The month kicked-off with three key workshops held on the same night, Monday 9th September, including one at Billericay Town FC. 85 coaches from the Brentwood Community Football Alliance (BCFA) Youth League attended a ‘Foundation and New Coaches’ Workshop, where focus was on creating engaging, inclusive and safe spaces for children. It underlined the importance of providing a setting where all participants feel welcome and supported.

The Echo Junior League jointly hosted a similar workshop at the Bobby Moore Sports Hub in Dagenham, attracting 26 coaches. The session honed-in on practical strategies for supporting youth players, both in training and on matchdays, with an emphasis on simplicity, focus and creating room for personal development. As coaches geared-up for the new season, they were provided with valuable insights into growth in a stress-free setting.

Meanwhile, a ‘Disability-Specific: Matchday Experience’ Workshop at Moulsham High School in Chelmsford brought together 17 coaches from the Essex Soccability League. These coaches, representing 17 teams from eight clubs, focused on providing tailored football experiences for players with disabilities. The workshop highlighted the importance of creating supportive environments where disabled players can thrive and enjoy football to the fullest.

Youth League Month continued with the Blackwater & Dengie Youth League’s workshop on Monday 16th September, also at Moulsham High School. This event aimed to prepare coaches to support young players throughout the season, emphasizing inclusivity and enjoyment. The focus was on teaching new coaches how to create positive engagement on and off the pitch, contributing to holistic development experiences for youth players.

To cap a progressive month, the series concluded with the South-East Essex Primary League’s own Foundation and New Coaches Workshop. This built upon the key principles of creating positive, inclusive environments for young players and equipping coaches with the tools to encourage both individual and team development.

With 18 coaches in attendance, the session reinforced a commitment to support coaches and ensuring that all players, regardless of ability, are provided with the best football experience possible. Tom Sibthorpe, Coach Development Officer at the Essex County FA, was delighted with all these activities, commenting: “Our Youth League Month has been a great success.”

“We’ve supported a variety of youth leagues - engaging over 200 coaches - through the delivery of five face-to-face workshops, across multiple venues and sites throughout the county. We hope these workshops reflect to our coaches the proactive work by leagues, and the County FA, to enhance the quality of youth football across Essex, ensuring that players can grow, develop and enjoy the game in a supportive, inclusive setting.”

Browse the menus above if you’d like to find out more about getting involved with coaching grassroots Essex football, interact with @EssexCountyFA and @EssexCoaches on X and search for the ‘EssexFootball’ page on Facebook.