Capital College launches first Women’s Football Excellence course in Scotland
Edinburgh College has launched a first-of-its-kind course in Scotland designed to support budding women’s footballers in areas including individual performance and injury prevention and recovery.
The NPA Achieving Excellence in Women’s Football course, which is part of a Schools College Partnership (SCP) programme, sees pupils from across the capital attend the College’s Milton Road Campus on two afternoons per week to undertake lessons with lecturer Becky Galbraith, who currently plays for Spartans FC.
In partnership with colleagues, Becky designed the course to include both theoretical and practical learning to support football performance, specifically for players in the women’s game. Throughout the year, students will learn about key aspects of sport and football performance including anatomy, physiology and nutrition; individual development; personal wellbeing; and codes of conduct.
It comes at an important time in women’s football, as the game has experienced exponential growth in the UK in recent years – with both Scotland and English national teams performing at major national tournaments, and league pyramid systems going from strength to strength.
However, with the growth in the number of players, teams and clubs active in the women’s game, there is a strong possibility of a sharp increase in significant injuries including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage. This is an already high-profile topic, with many professional players having been in the spotlight with these injuries in recent months and years.
What can be done to help?
As the women’s game is growing, the College aims to support the key focus of ensuring that players are able to access education, support and an environment closer to that which has been afforded to men’s players for many years, in order to help athletes in women’s football to stay in strong physical condition, enhance their performance and to prevent serious injuries.
The idea behind the development of this course has come from the need to give young players in women’s football access to education on other aspects of the sport which are so important. I have been playing football for 26 years and have always known that there are gaps in what training and education is available to women and girls. Our game is growing so fast, which is fantastic to see, however there remains so much to do to in terms of ensuring players have everything they need to stay fit, strong and healthy which will allow them to have long and successful careers in the sport. Our aim for this course is to play our part in that and help young players starting out in women’s football.Becky Galbraith, lecturer
We’re delighted to have launched this course to provide young players in women’s football with access to education and training in such crucial areas of the sport in order for them to develop. The growth of women’s football has been remarkable in recent years however it is clear there is work still to be done to ensure that those in the sport have the support the need to have long and successful careers. As the capital college, I am extremely proud we are playing our part in supporting women’s football and its players to continue thriving.Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal