McNee ready to lead way for future

Jul 25 2007 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

A WIRRAL teenager has been selected today to represent the North West in a nationwide search to find the next generation of football coaches.

Zoe McNee was picked to take part in a five-day ‘Young Leaders’ course run by The Football Association Šand FA Cup sponsor E-ON, as part of a combined School’s Football Development programme to encourage young people to participate in football leadership and coaching.

McNee was nominated by the football development officers of the Cheshire County FA afterŠ qualifying for selection by taking part in regular coaching and refereeingŠ schemesŠ in the county.

The youngster will join a hundred others from around the country on the course to be held throughout July in Ascot, Berkshire, where she will undertake a series of football related workshops run by National FA Staff to enhance her leadership skills in the sport.

The classes will include those in disability football coaching and Futsal (the South American five-a-side game which is growing in popularity in the UK).

The course aims to aid the young volunteers with skills that can be used back in their local football clubs and to encourage them in to a career in the sport.

Those attending will also be competing for one of four places at the next stage of the programme – a trip on the international leg of the Young Leaders course, where they will apply their new-found skills to support and run football festivals in communities in Malawi, Africa.

A spokesman for the Cheshire FA said: “Zoe has demonstrated several qualities of a good Young Leader through her work within the Bebington Sports Partnership, supporting the development of Football in several local Primary Schools as well as the development of Girls Football at her local club, Heygarth United FC”

If you are interested in getting involved in the Young Leaders programme, please visit: www.thefa.com/grassrootsnew.