Becoming an FA-qualified coach can be a life-changing experience. That sounds far-fetched. But it’s true.

One example is Francesca Brown, who ran away from a troubled home life in Manchester with nothing but a duffel bag and £10. She’d played football at a high level, but a serious injury shattered her dreams of making a living from the game.

She headed for London. And rediscovered the power of football through taking her FA Level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications.

Discipline and routine were restored in her life. She found new friends, rebuilt her confidence and gave her life renewed ambition.

To fulfil this ambition, Francesca set up Goals4Girls, encouraging girls in one of London’s most-deprived areas to play football.

Goals4Girls now helps more than 700 girls enjoy football. It also runs workshops to address issues like self-esteem, bullying and depression. It means other lives are being changed for the better.
Recognition has followed, and among other awards, Francesca was named the Prince’s Trust young achiever in the 2016 Pride of Britain awards.

Could you become a coach, like Francesca did? Take a look at The FA's range of coaching courses.

The Emirates FA Cup is more than a football tournament. It’s a national institution.

It reaches into virtually every community in the country. It provides amazing giant-killing stories. And through its prize fund, it has the power to fulfil dreams.

In February 2010, then non-league Crawley Town faced a winding-up order in the High Court. A change of ownership followed and, in the 2010-11 season, the club reached the last 16 of The FA Cup. Their fifth-round tie at Manchester United attracted 75,000 fans and a global TV audience. 

The money the Red Devils from West Sussex accrued – from The FA Cup’s prize fund, TV revenues, ticket receipts etc. – helped power the club to the Conference title that season. Now a league club, Crawley won the League Two title in their first season, again buoyed by a cup run to the last 16.

Crawley’s FA Cup windfall is not unique. This season, The FA will distribute more than £26m to every level of the game through the competition’s prize fund. 

And that’s not counting the priceless memories.

Find out more about how The Emirates FA Cup and other FA-run competitions make a material difference to clubs throughout the nation. 

Little more than a decade after taking up refereeing from scratch, Yorkshire-based Jane Simms is now an international match official.

It’s been a continuous journey the football community has supported every step of the way. Early advice came from her local league and existing referees. It continued with training and mentoring by West Riding FA, one of more than 50 County FAs operating under The FA’s umbrella. Every County FA runs referee-training courses.

Jane was then invited to FA training seminars, continued with her refereeing qualifications and was appointed to Women’s Premier League matches. In 2009, she was a fourth official at a UEFA Women's U19 Tournament. In 2012 The FA sent Jane to Japan on a referee exchange, officiating two games in Japan’s professional women's league. 

Backed by on-going FA support, Jane now officiates at senior levels in the men's and women's games. She gained FIFA Assistant Referee status in 2012 and is nearing the peak of refereeing qualifications in England.

The FA has helped Jane transform her passion into a profession.

Could you follow Jane into refereeing? Click here.

Travel anywhere in the world and kids kick footballs. Playing with your mates, having stories to tell and making lifelong friends – it’s all part of the joy of childhood. 

The FA is committed to promoting this sense of fun and enjoyment – and supporting organisations who share this aim. One such organisation is the Abu Hanifah Foundation Football Club (AHF FC) in Blackburn, Lancashire.

Based around a local mosque, AHF FC oversees 400 children playing football every week. This also links the mosque to the wider community.

To amplify its great work, The FA selected AHF FC to be an FA Community Development Centre. This guaranteed the club an FA-qualified coach every week.

Then, with help from the Lancashire FA, AHF FC became an FA Charter Standard Club – official recognition of the quality and service it provides.

It all led to AHF FC winning FA Charter Standard Club of the Year in 2015. This means AHF FC can broaden its appeal and continue to break down barriers. But more importantly, give as many children the opportunity to kick a football in a fun and safe environment.

Could your club earn FA Standard Charter accreditation? Click here to start the ball rolling.

The FA’s support for the game at every level comes in many forms. One is financial.

Take The FA’s Grow The Game fund for example. It exists to help establish new eleven-a-side teams, either as start-ups or at existing clubs.

One club who’s won a Grow The Game grant and reaped the benefits is Foley Meir FC, from a deprived area of Stoke-on-Trent.

A year ago they ran four teams – the first team, reserves, under-21s and under-14s. Now they run seven.

The Grow The Game fund allowed the club to pay for playing kit, match fees and coaching courses – plus everything else it takes to run new teams. Not only has this given more local people the chance to play football, it’s also increased the club’s talent pool. Foley Meir’s first team now play in the Staffordshire County Senior League (Step 8 of the national league system).

Overall, it’s meant a 75% per cent increase in playing opportunities in a year. Not a bad return on The FA’s investment.

Could your club be eligible for a Grow The Game grant? Click here to find out.

Getting more and more girls playing football is a key goal of The FA. It’s a great way to get fit, make friends and build self-confidence.

It’s a philosophy already embraced by seven-year-old Alys Spencer from Doncaster. She’s recently played a pivotal role in starting three girls’ teams – for under-7s, under-9s and under-11s.

It started when Alys attended an FA Skills session, run in partnership with Lidl. Aimed at five-to-eleven-year-olds, The FA Skills programme inspired Alys to improve her football skills, her fitness – and as a result, her all-round enjoyment of the game.

When The FA extended the Skills programme to include girls-only sessions, Alys encouraged other girls to come along. She then convinced her father to start a girls-only football team at her primary school. In turn, she helped pioneer the three new girls’ teams.

Last October, The FA and Lidl nominated Alys to walk out with the England men’s team against Malta at Wembley. It symbolised the link between the game’s youthful roots and the international game – and The FA’s unwavering commitment to football at every level.

Inspired by Alys? Click here.

Not everyone wants to play competitive football. Some people just want to play for fun and exercise.

So in 2011 The FA teamed up with Mars to run a national programme to encourage recreational football. The programme’s name? Just Play.

And in one case, the impact of Just Play has gone way beyond a weekly kickabout: 

The Northshore Academy Community Zone in Stockton on Tees includes an excellent 3G artificial pitch. But it became the scene of ongoing anti-social behaviour.

Why? It was positioned directly opposite the Tilery Council Estate, many of whose residents couldn’t afford to use it. Resentment resulted.

Booking a weekly Just Play session for the Estate immediately reduced this resentment. It gave free access to those who felt excluded. And a chance to socialise and get fit. 

Today, Just Play sessions run 32 weeks a year at 400 different locations. Venue hire, footballs – and an FA Level 1 coach on site. 

And, on the Tilery Estate, the two-hour Monday-night Just Play sessions are a valued part of the community’s weekly life. Barriers have been broken.

Don't wait around. Just play. Click here to find out more.