And lots more. Local leisure centers, and sports centers provide activities and facilities for football to happen for all ages. Football does not have really had some sort of grading for the sport. Footballers are given a title depending on which level they play at. For people that play in Sunday leagues and similar leagues are known as amateurs. Then if you represent a team that play at a level before a national league you are known as semi-professional. After that you become professional when you represent a team at a nation level. The coaches that teach football can range from a lot of different levels. The highest of the levels is probably being a qualified FIFA coach. It takes years to become one. Then there is a vast number of different coach grading below that. You can become a school football coach to becoming a UEFA football coach.
Disabled football is one of the most popular disabled sports, and is the second most participated sport, other than the Para Olympics. It is a growing sport, not only as a national sport, but internationally too. Many associations support it across England, including many of the professional clubs, such as Chelsea disabled football club. It is renown-disabled f.c, as it has also gone internationally, competing in European tournaments. (www.chelsea.com/disabled)
Most of the organisations around the u.k cater for all disabilities, made up respectively, of participants who are blind, partially sighted, deaf, amputees or have cerebral palsy or leaning difficulties. (Www.activeamp.org). The amputee category was one of the first established disabled games to be developed. One local club that has been running for over twenty years is Castle Point Sports Club for the Disabled (CPSCD), and currently has over one hundred members aging from 3 to 83.they do a very different range of sports from archery to darts and lots more.
Sport England is an agency set up to develop English sports. It has a football foundation. Several associations, FA Premier League, the Football Association, Government, the New Opportunities Fund and Sport England, fund it. It invests heavily into grassroots developments. It helps to improve facilities at schools and local parks. The access for elite performers can be very easy in football. In the modern era, Elite Performers are getting picked up and spotted, by professional clubs, from a very young age. Professional Clubs take a risk but they judge the young performers potential. For example Owen Price a 17-year football is currently signed with spurs, but was picked up at the age of 13,for a school match and then gone on to represent the national side (www.thfc.com). Normally potential is spotted not just at schools, but also Sunday leagues, which are very popular in all counties.
The clubs that are participating in the league help fund Sunday football in local areas. The clubs are normally help financially by, sponsers. Which help with facilities and equipment. For example, Maynard Heady sponsors Island Boys f.c, u18’s. (Chartered accountants). (Mr terry O’Connor-Manager). This sponsor helps with the kit and first aid. Sunday league, and school football is also a way in to represent your county. The football association for funding normally helps County Football. Essex County is partly funded by the council, for the hire of the Basildon bowl for the county’s home pitch. (www.essex-fa.org).County Football can also be a route into a professional club.
This is due to the high standard of football played at county level. Most professional clubs are very well sponsored, which enables them to have their very own academy for potential elite performers. For example Tottenham hotspurs are funded by Thompson holiday company, which the money they have invested has been used to help fund the academy (www.tottenhamhotspur.com/business/finance.)
You then might go on to represent this professional club, and then maybe get picked to represent your country. There are many schemes that have been put up to help finance and support grassroots’ development in England. One scheme, which has been set up, is by the football association (FA). The FA have invested 30m a year into the game’s grass roots. The aim is too produce more home grown talent by, higher standards and better pitches, changing-rooms and facilities for clubs. 4.5 million is being invested over 3 years in Mini-Soccer, to provide children with the best introduction to the game, which will eventually produce quality home grown talent (www.thefa.org.) Overall the National and international, provision for football is very well funded and recognised. I think the sport of football has been well developed. On and international level sport is played in most countries at a good level and is well respected. Grass root development is very good with a good view on what is needed to improve the current grass root structure.