Powerleague has announced an exciting collaboration with Karen Carney, a member of the Women’s Super League Hall of Fame, to provide free football training sessions for young girls this summer.
As part of this initiative, Powerleague will also be offering 100 hours of free playing time for grassroots girls’ youth clubs across its 41 venues in the UK and Europe, including Harrow.
Moreover, an additional five hours will be given for every clean sheet that the England team maintains during the ongoing World Cup.
A recent survey conducted by Powerleague revealed that 82% of young girls aged 8 to 16 were inspired by the Lionesses’ success at the European Championships last year. However, a significant percentage (47%) still feel they lack access to suitable facilities to play football in their areas, and a majority (55%) are unaware of local initiatives aimed at encouraging their participation in the sport.
In response to these findings, Powerleague is taking steps to break down these barriers by providing young girls the chance to be coached by Karen Carney. Karen, a former midfielder who represented the England Lionesses over 140 times and took part in the London 2012 Olympics as part of the Great Britain team, is a prominent figure in women’s football.
To kickstart this initiative, Karen Carney will lead a series of training sessions at Powerleague Shepherds Bush on Wednesday, August 16th. The coaching sessions will include various drills and five-a-side matches, followed by meet-and-greet opportunities where the girls can interact with Karen, take photos, and receive autographs.
The schedule for the training sessions is as follows:
- 14:00 – 15:00: 8-10 year olds
- 15:00 – 16:00: 11-12 year olds
- 16:00 – 17:00: 13-14 year olds
- 17:00 – 18:00: 15-16 year olds
Christian Rose, CEO at Powerleague, spoke about the initiative, stating, “We are looking forward to welcoming Karen Carney in a few weeks, as we strive to inspire the next generation of female talent, by offering training sessions with one of England’s finest players.”
Karen Carney also shared her enthusiasm, underscoring the benefits of getting girls involved in football from a young age, such as boosting confidence, physical fitness, and building social skills.
In addition to the free hours of playing time being offered this summer, Powerleague remains committed to women’s sports growth. The brand will continue hosting Women’s and mixed leagues, summer holiday camps, football parties during major football events, and Women’s 5-a-side tournaments in collaboration with the non-profit organization Girls United.
The collaboration between Powerleague and Karen Carney represents a significant step forward in promoting gender equality in football and encouraging young girls to embrace the sport with enthusiasm and confidence.
To reserve spaces for the training sessions with Karen Carney, interested participants can visit this link. Bookings will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
