Katie Wales

A bit about you:

I have been involved in FA Coach Mentoring since 2017 and have had the privilege of working with some fantastic male and female coaches during that time, as well as co-delivering with Oxfordshire FA and the Coach Education workforce on a variety of CPD sessions and courses. I have a passion to make sure our game continues to grow and be enjoyed by all, and so equally for supporting those involved in the female game to keep that a reality. I still coach myself, currently working with an U18 girls’ team, as well as with U14 & U16 County School’s sides. My two young sons think it’s entirely normal that mummy goes to coach football a few times a week, and that normality is exactly how it should be! For me, helping female (and male!) coaches simply to recognise the value that they bring to this space is one of the most rewarding aspects of the role.

Your football journey:

I started playing club football around the age of 8, and then set out to start up a girls’ side aged 11 when the FA ruling at the time didn’t allow mixed football at this age. Albeit my former teammates said “the club will never let you have a girls’ team” I always have found proving people wrong a bit of an incentive, as in this case, and so that is where the next 19 years or so were spent before “retiring” upon the arrival of my first son.

Alongside that, I gained my Level 1 coaching qualification aged 16 whilst still at school, I then ventured to my Level 2 during university where I was also running the women’s club. I split my time across Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Middlesex the years thereafter which provided some fantastic opportunities and variety in coaching experiences; U6/7/8 boys, U12 grassroots girls, U14/15 boys, open age women’s sides and also within a girl’s talent pathway as well. The experiences allowed me to work through my Youth Module qualifications, and then my UEFA B license in 2016. There have been plenty of hours on the grass and the journey still continues…

How can I support?

I’ve performed a good variety of roles within football, both on and off the field, and as such have witnessed “the good, the bad and the ugly!” That, combined with balancing a day job, children, coaching and coach education I believe offers me a certain amount of empathy, understanding and most importantly experience to draw upon in supporting coaches in their context and the variety of challenges the football world can throw at us!

Mentoring needs to be bespoke and supportive of your individual journey, my experience allows me to work with you to arrive at some common goals as to what we want to achieve together. That could be as simple as acting as a sounding board, a safe space to ask “stupid questions,” reviewing sessions and specific coaching detail, action planning, journey mapping, building networks or simply finding ways to instil confidence and truly see and believe in the value you can, and undoubtedly do already add.

Someone once said to me, “football can sometimes be a very lonely place,” if nothing else, through the mentor programme we can ensure that really doesn’t have to be the case.

Mark Haining

A bit about you:

Coach Developer and coach educator with over 25 years experience at delivering courses, CPD and supporting coaches 1:1. A UEFA A Licence coach with a Post grad and Masters in sports coaching. Been involved in the girls and womens game for 28 years. Delivered in the grassroots and professional game including girls RTC. Currently working as a talent reporter on the England Womens pathway and coach mentor for the FA. Previously spent 6 years with the FA at a Regional Coach Development Manager and County Coach developer.
 
Your football journey:

Played in my youth and through to 40 years of age. Took up coaching in 1993 with a grassroots team and with a local soccer school delivering FA coaching programmes in school holidays. Coached in a number of settings in both the male and female game from 1995. Coaching included working with RAF Womens, Combined Services womens, Witney Town womens, Carterton Town Mens, Carterton town boys U7-U16, RAF Cyprus representative team, Oxford University womens, Manchester United Soccer Schools, Oxford United Girls development centre, Oxford United Girls RTC. Currently working as a Coach Developer with Swindon Town womens FC. Journey through coach development and coach education delivering FA level 1 and 2 courses in early 2000’s through to Youth Module courses and new versions of courses developed over the last 15 years including the UEFA B.
 
How you can support:

An extensive experience in working with new and aspiring coaches in a variety of settings. With my skills and experience I can assist with the detail of coaching but more importantly working with those who may be unsure or confident in their coaching potential. I can help with the recognition of the transferable skills many potential coaches already have but may not yet realise. Working with potential coaches to help others through the development of soft skills which are the building blocks of any good session which allows the players to explore through game activity is something I enjoy and like to instil in others.

Michael Perks

A bit about you:

My name is Michael Perks, I am a Coach Mentor, Coach Developer and Disability Football Ambassador with the FA. I also work as a Behaviour Mentor in the special needs education sector. 

Your football journey:

I started my football journey like many of us do, coaching grassroots football as a 15-year-old. Since then I've worked my way through numerous roles in grassroots, academies and the adult game. My most recent full time role was First Team Manager at Coventry City Women’s team. I’ve also tried to expand my education in coaching and currently hold a UEFA B coaching badge alongside a Postgraduate Diploma in Performance Football Coaching.

How can I support?

My Coach Mentor role specialises in Disability. As such, there are two main areas I support:

• Supporting teams who have players with SEN needs (either as a pan disability team or as a mainstream team with specific players with additional needs)
• Supporting coaches with a disability who are in need of support.

However, I can also support in different ways and in the past support has included session observations, project planning, club committee meetings, club ethos and strategy discussions and numerous other elements of supporting football clubs.