Schoolboy Football
To take this footballing career past the little league stage kids can play and get involved in their high school football team. Schools nowadays have sufficient income of funds from the government to produce such teams around the borough. This means that most high schools can afford sports equipment, pitches etc. Schoolboy football is an important part of teenagers footballing career due to the fact you are representing you school against other competitors around the borough. It gives you a change to play football free of charge. It also gives you the chance to progress and build up skills/techniques to a higher level. If you are at that higher level you may get noticed and scouted for other football teams.
Grassroots Football
Grassroots football is another option that you can take up as it is played on a different day (Sunday where as schoolboy football is normally played on a Saturday). In grassroots football you will have to pay a signing on fee plus weekly payments or subs to help pay for pitches, referees and other various facilities used including training pitches (indoors or outdoors). Grass roots offers a number of leagues that you can participate in including the Tandridge or the Epsom and ewell. I have played for a team in the Tandridge league and was happy with the standard of football. At this stage most clubs in the grassroots leagues are sponsored by small businesses around the area of the club is from or located. This is good because the teams get sponsored kits and the business gets free advertisements.
Local Facilities
If you want to play the sport for a bit of fun with friends or family there is lots of centers that have football facilities that you can use at various costs. Westcroft leisure center have indoor courts and various equipment like indoors balls that you can rent out at an hourly rate. This vicinity is a good choice because if it’s refreshing pool that you can use after your workout. It often has football competitions that take place in the summer holidays and school term breaks for kids that like to get involved in the sport. There are other places where you can rent out courts and the next nearest is called the `Power league'. It has about 12 5-a-side football courts that are charged at an hourly rate. If you have enough of your mates that enjoy football then you can start up your very own 5-a-side team which will then be placed in one of the leagues that run on the day in which your team are available.
Evan though that the above centers charge you to use their facilities there are lots of parks with goal posts already set up for the public to use free of charge. These parks include Bedington Park, Tweeddale Park, St Heiler green and Poulters Park. St Heiler green and poulters park have recently built football courts that are caged and open to any person that wish to use it free of charge. There is a local Astroturf pitch on Angel hill road, which is used by lots of people and schools because of its excellent pitch conditions and facilities. On Green Wrythe lane there is a new youth center that has been built and it has an outside an indoor court that is also open for kids and teenagers up to the age of 17.
Local towns clubs
If you fancy yourself to be a good footballer you can go to your local towns club, which offer trials to youths in the area for their youth teams. These clubs include Carshalton Athletic F.C. and Sutton United F.C. Each of which can offer you a high level of football and facilities that include quality pitches and stadiums that may enhance performance. These are both under FA ruling and consider to be progressing sides. Other local sides that are professional include Wimbledon, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Fulham, Chalton and West Ham.
Wimbledon out of these I admire for their Contribution to the young progressing footballers of today. They have academy courses every year that are local e.g. Mushchamp playing field. It it sometimes held at Westcroft leisure center, which is useful, if you live in the Wallington or Carshalton area.
Disabled Football
Wimbledon don't Just specify in courses for young fit athletes they also have started up a Wimbledon disabled football club Which was launched on the 1st April 2000 by the FA Chief Executive. This new partnership to promote disabled football was kicked off by Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of the football association. Wimbledon Disabled Football Club displayed its very impressive talents on the pitch before the Wimbledon Vs Arsenal game at Selhurst Park that year. The Limbless Association and Wimbledon FC have set up two new disabled football teams (a junior and senior) which are being coached and led by Wimbledon FC at weekly training sessions. Wimbledon FC are also providing kits and other support for the team.
The launch also had the suport of Ex-England Coach, Kevin Keegan and Ministers from the Department of Health and Department of Culture Media and Sport.
Kevin Keegan said, "Football is for everyone. It's for women and girls as well as men and boys, it's for Veterans and it's for disabled people. I think it's great the things the Limbless Association does for youngsters who are keen on football and I wish them all the best with this project."
Women’s and Girls Football
Women's football is enjoying a period of unprecedented growth. There are now over 700 women's teams, 1,000 girl’s teams and 34,000 registered players making women’s football the fastest growing female sport.
Talented young players can benefit from the new Women's Talent Development Programme including a network of Centers of Excellence, National Player Courses and England Youth Teams. The FA Women’s Football Development Programme is involved in a number of initiatives to further increase opportunities for female players including the Millennium Youth Games, Lottery Sports Fund Active Sports Programme and the County Grant Aid Scheme. With such Developments taking place, now is the ideal time to establish girls and women’s teams.
National Provision
We have a couple of national provisions in the London area which include Crystal Palace Stadium, this arena held the common wealth games and plays a big part of our national provision. Wembely is one of the most important due to the fact that our national side plays there.
The stepladder of football goes up in stages and here is a flow diagram to show and explain the process: -
Little league football
(This is where young children often start their careers and get to grips with basic skills and rules).
Schoolboy football
(Begin to adapt their skills to a higher standard).
Grassroots
(Teenagers get the chance to play for a team that can progress through a series of leagues table in the Tandridge or Epsom and Ewell).
Surrey FA
(In charge of local clubs in the surrey area including women’s, girls and disabled teams).
FA and Nationwide
(This owns the Premiership, division 1,2&3 and also the Vauxhall conference leagues).
Uefa
(This is the association of European clubs and competitions like the Uefa cup and the Champions league. Both of which are held every year).
Fifa
(This is the association of international clubs and competitions which includes the World Cup where it is held every four years at a selected country venue e.g. World cup 98 was held in France who actually went on to win the cup).
Conclusion
To conclude this Local and National Provision I would like to state that there is lots of facilities that you can use within you local area whether the fact that your a boy, girl or disabled its there for you to use and get involved in.
