Inclusive Football is certainly high on the agenda within the City and County of Leicestershire and Rutland. Working within the Football Associations National Plans for the development of Football for All, the commitment of the Leicestershire & Rutland Inclusive Football Partnership, working together with the Leicestershire & Rutland County Football Association to provide Football for All, is clear to see.
Key partners, Leicester City Football Club, Local Authorities and Leicestershire & Rutland Sport all work together to ensure Opportunities are developed through an appointed Football Development Officer (Disability), working alongside local key agencies and organisations, providing opportunities for Football for All, encompassing females, males, youngsters and adult players with a physical, sensory, learning or behavioural disability/impairment.
We are committed to enabling all players to play our National Game and providing opportunities for people who want to become involved in the many different areas of football. We strive to ensure all those involved reach their potential as a player, coach, referee, administrator or volunteer.
The Football Development Team are very keen to support Clubs who would like to become accessible to people with disabilities or those Clubs who would like to establish a team for players with a variety of disabilities.
There are numerous opportunities for keen footballers to train and play football regularly in a safe, fun, friendly and of course learning environments.
Listed below are the many areas of work in which we engage with key partners, to develop and deliver opportunties for males, females, youngsters and adults who fall into, to name but a few, an impairment or disability group as below:
Learning difficulties, Autism, Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Deaf, Blind, Partially Sighted, Amputee’s (Regionally)
- Football coaching within special schools and mainstream schools (SEN youngsters)
- Inclusive Schools Football League – Primary & Secondary
- Football coaching within Colleges for players aged 16+
- Inclusive Football College League
- Player Coaching Development Centre for U16’s & Adults
- Female Coaching Development Centre to commence 2009/10
- Representative sides compete in the East Midlands Regional League, playing against Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire & Lincolnshire.
- F.A. Centre of Excellence U14’s & U17’s – Regular training and playing opportunities
- Fun Skills Days for youngsters and adults with severe learning or physical disabilities
- Network of FA Charter Standard Clubs providing Football for All. Our network of Inclusive Clubs offer females and males of all ages the chance to be part of a team, train every week and play regular games in the County Inclusive Football League.
- Working alongside the Leicester Blind Football Academy to develop a Blind Football Team. Weekly sessions are held at the Madani High School
- Development of Impairment Specific Squads for Deaf and Visually Impaired Players, who are currently playing in our Pan-Disability provision
- Development of Leicestershire Foxes Power-chair Football Club. Power-chair Football Events for Schools and Colleges.
- Engage with Mental Health Groups to support their recovery from Mental Illness of using football as a tool, by providing regular football training and playing opportunities.
- Opportunities to support people with a disability who want to become a football coach, referee, young leader, administrator or volunteer within football
- Opportunities for local coaches to increase their knowledge by attending a Coaching Disabled Footballers Course / Coaching Deaf Footballers Course and other impairment specific courses which are being developed by the Football Association
If you know of any person, group, organisation or business who would like to become involved or indeed can support our development of Inclusive (Disability) Football across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland please contact:
Mary Rudkin:
Office 0116 2844952 / 07752 746229
mary.rudkin@leicestershirefa.com