The GFA is pleased to see the progress and development of many of the girls in the Girls Academy, which is testament to the coaching being provided and also the commitment of the players, which has led to them developing into more confident footballers.  In the first part of the season, the focus of the Girls Academy has been on further developing and improving technical ability and tactical awareness, which has been aimed at ensuring the players have the confidence to put their skills into action when playing in matches against the local club teams in the upcoming weeks and months.

These fixtures against local club teams are focussed on providing the opportunity for the players to work towards developing team cohesion whereby Head Coach Joelle will be keeping in mind #Goal21 and identifying players with the potential to represent Guernsey in the 2021 home Island Games.  The girls within the Academy at this moment are all working towards becoming senior representative players and participating in such an exciting opportunity, where the hope is to enter a competitive squad. The Girls Academy is currently training twice a week across U13-U16 age groups ahead of the proposed annual fixture against the Jersey Centre of Excellence before the end of the season and Joelle commented on the progress being made:

‘It is evident that there is progression amongst all players and I am confident that the girls will be a credit to themselves in the upcoming matches against local club teams and also when travelling to Jersey later this season. I fully expect that a number of these players currently in the Girls Academy will progress further and gain full senior Representative honours for Guernsey and be part of a team playing in a home Island Games tournament in 2021’

Joelle added that:

‘The Girls Academy is always looking for more players to become involved and in order to identify the football talent within young girls in Guernsey, the GFA will be hosting school based tournaments with coaching sessions in the lead up to the final event. After the February half term Year 9&10 girls have been invited to attend a weekly training session which will conclude with a tournament where the girls will represent their own schools. The GFA will be replicating this with Year 7+8 girls after the Easter holidays, with the Girls Academy coaches hoping to identify and encourage talented players from all age groups to join the female pathway and participate in the upcoming the inter-island matches.

For more information about the various opportunities to get involved in Women & Girls Football please contact Joelle Pengelley:

Tel – 01481 200443

Email – Joelle.pengelley@guernseyfa.com