Over the course of the 2023/24 season we will hear from a wide range of local people who have benefitted from Arsenal in the Community projects. Here we find out more about how Lilybelle, 19, is following her dream on the Coach Development Programme.
Name: Lilybelle
Project: Coach Development Programme
Participants: 21
Available to: Men and Women aged 18-plus
The Arsenal in the Community Coach Development Programme offers a unique opportunity for young people to gain qualifications and experience in coaching football while contributing to Arsenal’s community projects in the UK and beyond.
Twenty one participants from Islington, the UK and beyond joined the programme at the start of September. Between now and July they will undertake a comprehensive programme of coach education from our team of experienced coaches and industry experts, and have the chance to apply their learning by leading and supporting sessions across our Arsenal in the Community projects. Lilybelle tells us about her experiences so far…
“I recently completed my Level 3 Sports and Coaching BTEC with Arsenal in the Community. I really enjoyed the experience and the coaching aspect of the course, and I wanted to continue with Arsenal. I found out about the Coach Development Programme and I was eager to join.
“To prepare for the programme I spent my summer in South Africa volunteering as a football coach to learn different coaching techniques in the hope of positively impacting the people I coached.
“I knew about Arsenal in the Community projects from school, but I didn’t realise I would get to do so many amazing things. One significant event was visiting Auschwitz Birkenau in Poland, which we followed by spreading awareness about the Holocaust at Islington Town Hall. Another proud moment was being an ambassador for Rainbow Laces, sharing my coming-out experience with local schools.
“The Arsenal staff have been really supportive throughout, especially my tutors on the Level 3 course, Martin Davis and Antony David. They encouraged me to get involved in Rainbow Laces, and that has had a big impact on me. The CDP has developed both my coaching skills and personal growth from interacting with diverse individuals.
“The multitude of opportunities surprised me, from primary school sessions to stadium tours. The course is broad and emphasises the importance of enjoying every moment and seizing every opportunity you can.
“To me, being part of Arsenal means belonging and comfort. Arsenal is like a second family, always welcoming and fostering a sense of community.”
More on the CDP
Based in London, at The Arsenal Hub, our coaches undertake a comprehensive programme of coach education, and gain experience by leading and supporting sessions across our range of Arsenal in the Community projects. Coaching qualifications such as the Introduction to Coaching Football (FA Level 1), First Aid and Safeguarding courses. Coaches who already hold the FA Level 1 are still strongly encouraged to apply.
Local community placements include primary schools, social inclusion/estate sessions, and accessibility groups, as well as six three-month placements at Arsenal’s Pre-Academy and opportunities at the Girls’ Academy in Hertfordshire.
Upon completion of the initial stages of delivery, coaches may be offered the opportunity to travel abroad to support our work around the world. Placements in 2023 included supporting The Arsenal Foundation’s Coaching for Life programme in Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan, and multiple summer placements in the USA.
For more information contact Drew Tyler, Coach Development Programme Lead, at dtyler@arsenal.co.uk or click here
Lilybelle in action. “Arsenal is like a second family, always welcoming and fostering a sense of community,” she says
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
