What an incredible two weeks for Future Lioness. Block 1 of training kicked off on the 3rd May with over 40 girls in attendance. After months of preparation work, it was joyful to watch the sessions come to fruition. When the idea of Future Lioness was first born, we had a vision of building our pride of lionesses; a collective of like-minded girls, keen to develop their football skills and have a safe, supportive environment in which to play the game they love.
We were fortunate to have a special guest at our second session, namely Mia Enderby who currently plays for Sheffield United. Having progressed through the ranks at the Leeds United Academy from the U12s up to U16s, Mia has now signed a professional contract with The Blades as well as playing for England U19s. Having battled against sexism within the game and lack of opportunity for female footballers, Mia's achievements are truly inspiring and her success is testament to her hard work and determination. We are passionate about providing our girls with opportunities to meet great role models like Mia, who demonstrate the possibility of turning dreams into reality.
6 KEY PRINCIPLES
Throughout our sessions the girls are reminded of our core values, which we believe are at the heart of progressing and developing into confident and considerate individuals, both on and off the pitch.
Listen to your coaches -They are there to help! Our Future Lioness coaches bring with them a wealth of varied experience and knowledge. Their ultimate purpose is to support and facilitate the progress of our players, therefore it's really important to listen to their instructions and take on board their feedback.
Ask questions - Don't be afraid to ask. There is no such thing as a silly question and it is more than likely that you aren't the only one thinking it! By asking the question, not only will you assist your own development, you may also be doing a service to those around you.
Work hard - Try your best. We cannot control the final result in sport, however we can control the effort that we put in. Therefore, we see the effort that you put in as a true measure of success.
Be positive - There are multiple benefits of maintaining a positive attitude and outlook. Not only can it enhance confidence, which in turn assists skill execution and performance, it can also help to reduce anxiety. Undertaking and learning new skills can be daunting and overwhelming, but having a positive mindset will help with overcoming these feelings.
Help others - We believe a key part of development involves learning from and supporting your peers. Ultimately football is a team sport; understanding and trusting your team-mates is crucial, seek help from them when you are struggling and offer support when it is needed.
Have Fun - Arguably the most important one! Fundamentally playing football should be fun. Whether you aspire to become a professional, remain playing at grassroots level (or any of the other levels in between) or simply want to improve your ability and skill level, we want you to find joy in playing football. In the words of the great Pele:
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."
We want our players to take these values away with them and apply them to all aspects of their lives. We want to cultivate players who show kindness, compassion and respect to others as they pursue their goal of success.
Our final key message to our players is:
Don't worry about making mistakes
Mistakes help us evaluate our progress and identify areas for improvement. They motivate us to try new approaches and are a natural part of the learning process. Future Lioness is a safe, positive environment where we encourage all our girls to Dream, Believe and Play.
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