The FA And Bt Launch New Grassroots Volunteer Initiative

05 Aug 2020 | tshego

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The FA has launched a new entry-level football course to inspire new volunteers to get involved in the grassroots game.

The FA Playmaker, supported by BT, is an online course for both current and new volunteers, free for anyone aged 14 and over who is seeking to take a more active role in grassroots football.

The course, which takes place over five modules and focuses on the basics of football, provides a toolkit anyone can use to get involved and help create ‘fun, safe and inclusive experiences’ in the game.

As part of the partnership between BT – the Lead Partner for all of the England teams – and The FA, the course has been developed in line with the 4-3-3 strategy, a five-year plan developed by the pair to improve football’s grassroots, women’s and disability games.

“As well as providing an exciting new entry-point into football education, The FA Playmaker marks an important new step in how The FA provides learning to volunteers across the grassroots game,” said Lucy Pearson, Head of Education, The FA.

“It’s a course for mums who take their daughters to a Wildcats session every week and want to get more involved, for students looking to add new skills and experiences while at school, college or university education and for those who just need some tools to improve their weekly football experiences. It really is a course for all.”

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer division, added: “At the heart our ambition is the growth and development of grassroots football. Our goal is to create the most inclusive, accessible and skilled grassroots community in the world. The FA Playmaker course comes as part of that commitment; using the power of football to connect communities and offer digital, educational and football skills training.

“It also supports one of our focuses to encourage a more diverse representation of people into the grassroots game and this course is available to anyone who wants to take a more active volunteer role and make a difference in their local community.”