Football In The Community Q&A with Craig White

Today we begin a series of articles looking at the work of Football In The Community (FITC) at our club as Trust Board Member Matt Davis interviews Craig White. The series begins with a look at Craig’s background and an overview of FITC’s role. 

PERSONAL DETAILS:

Name: Craig White   Job Title: Football in the Community Manager    Age:  32 

Educational Background –Waterleys County Primary School (Wigston), Gartree High School (Oadby) & Guthlaxton College (Wigston) – a local lad! 

Sporting Background – Playing local football at Oadby Town etc 

How did you become involved in football in the community and when? – I’ve been here 13 years now, originally under the leadership of Neville Hamilton.  I’d taken my coaching badges and I saw an advert to help with coaching.  I applied and was hired on a casual basis, then subsequently full time.  My job title was assistant officer, but eventually, when Neville Hamilton moved on, I got the Manager post.

OVERVIEW OF FOOTBALL IN THE COMMUNITY: 

What are the aims and objectives of football in the community and what are the different strands to it (including how this links to the community)?  –  Firstly, let me give you a bit of history. Football in the Community Projects are successfully operated at 92 professional football clubs.  Football in the community projects were first established in the mid 1980’s, with Leicester City’s being set up in 1989……..

Our two main aims are to encourage all the community (but especially children) to both watch football and to play football. Examples of the work we do include:

·    Schools Football Coaching:   ·   Curriculum Time Coaching    ·  Lunchtime Coaching           ·  After School Coaching       ·   Indoor Football Coaching

·    Holiday Courses    ·          Girls Football        ·   Special Needs Coaching     ·   Girls Centre of Excellence       ·    Saturday Soccer Club   ·   Birthday Parties           

·       Club Coaching:   ·    Ethnic Club Coaching   ·       Coach Education 

I should also add that the safety and well being of children attending is paramount and all our coaches are police checked through the Criminal Records Bureau and all coaches attend a Football in the Community Child Protection Course, ‘Children – Ensuring Safety in Football’ and an FA Emergency First Aid Course. 

Our courses cover the whole of Leicestershire and Rutland and we even move into other Counties subject to approval from the Football in the Community organisation in that County, for example we have just recently undertaken some coaching in Corby Northants. 

Where are you based and when and where does the work take place?? – Our actual base is at the Belvoir Drive training ground, though our work takes place throughout the Counties of Leicestershire & Rutland (& further beyond into neighbouring counties at times).  The work takes place at various times throughout the day from early in the morning to late at night at all times of the year.  We are flexible with when, where & what time we work in order to accommodate the needs of the community.  

Do you come within any umbrella organisations? – As I said previously, Football in the Community Projects are successfully operated at 92 professional football clubs and they are operated through the support of the Footballers Further Education & Vocational Training Society. 

How many work in football in the community at Leicester? – We have four full time employees (including me) and 25 to 30 casual staff, so as you can see, we have to make sure we have sufficient income to cover the costs of all these employees, which obviously at times can be a major headache.  

 

Leader of the FITC – Craig White speaking at the Midlands Trust Conference in July   

n the next article we look at how FITC is funded and what a typical day at the FITC is like and how FITC links into the clubs Academy.

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