The FAW’s Huddle programme provides a fun and friendly environment for girls aged 4-11 to try football, make friends and have fun.
February’s ‘Huddle of the Month’ recognises CPDM Bangor a women and girls only club who have created a fun and inclusive environment for girls in the local community to thrive and be inspired to remain in football.
Coach at CPDM Bangor Leanne Jones emphasised how important it is for girls to have their own spaces to play football: “We first set up Huddle in the club in 2020/2021 season and it’s fantastic as it allows girls to just have fun with it. It has been a great success at the club we’ve seen girls go from Huddle up to our under 11s team.
“Huddle is great to introduce girls to football because it’s a fun and there’s no obligation to join the club or pay subs or commitment to anything. I think it’s particularly important to girls at that age to have these sessions because even if they are interested in playing football it is still largely the thing boys do at school in break time and so there aren’t always spaces for girls to have that informal intro to football.”
Bangor’s Huddle also emphasizes the importance of female role models, with Leanne coaching alongside her daughter, Katy. “It’s so important for girls to see female influences in football—they need to know the game isn’t just for males,” says Leanne.
Katy, who started football as the only girl in a boys’ team, now plays for Bangor U15s and is using her experience to help younger girls enjoy the game. “I’m proud to coach with my daughter and see her pass on her skills and inspire the young girls coming through,” Leanne adds.
Leanne started her coaching journey with Huddle and encourages other women to consider the programme as their first step, as it allows them to gain experience without the pressure of competitive fixtures. “It’s a great way to start coaching— there’s no pressure, you get to have fun, and develop skills in a relaxed environment.” she explains.
In addition to the great work CPDM have been doing they are at the heart of the local community by engaging with schools to get more girls to attend the sessions:
“I am a teaching assistant and have spoken to year 1 and year 2 children about our sessions. Last season I managed to help towards getting 4 from the school join and so far this year I have had 2 from my class attend and others are wanting to join!”
