FA Leadership Academy 2024-25
This summer The FA welcomed the FA Leadership Academy class of 2024-25 to kick off their learning journey
Sixty young people began their year-long training programme with four days of workshops designed to improve their leadership skills so that both now and in the future they can make an impact on grassroots football across the country.
Having been successful in her application to be part of this year's cohort, Sofia Gibbins, who is also part of the Hertfordshire FA Youth Council, attended the event and here she describes her experience in her own words:
Day 1
FALA24 kicked off with the Opening Ceremony, presented by the FANYC vice-chair, who introduced this year's theme of empowerment. We were also fortunate to hear from Lucy Pearson, Director of Education at The FA and former English cricketer, who discussed the importance of having bravery as a leader to initiate a movement but also how crucial the courage of the ‘first follower’ is to enhance a movement.
Our first FALA24 workshop was “Being my best self”. To begin with, we all had to think about what expresses what we represent using drawings, quotes, hashtags etc. A key phrase I wrote was ‘Win or Learn’ which people took a particular liking to; it was inspiring hearing people still quote it even when saying goodbye on the last day.
Also in this session, we were introduced to the ‘Four Burners Model’ which was a concept based on how we distribute our time between friends/family, work/study, our community and ourselves. This was a great analysis tool in assessing who or where I need to invest more or less of my time.
Personally, the most pivotal moment of my whole residential experience came in Workshop 1 when we were asked a simple yet thought provoking question of “Why?”, “why do you do what you do?”. Who knew that one word would have such a striking impact on me. I can be quick to tell people it’s “because I like being involved” but sitting in that room surrounded by all the other inspiring FALA participants made me mentally take a step back and dig deeper into my purpose.
Workshop 2 educated us on a “Personal Leadership Philosophy”, something I had not heard of before. A huge discussion point during this session was feedback and how it “is the oxygen to our success”. We have to accept feedback as an opportunity to learn and enable improvement; it allows us to unlock our full potential.
Another key point during this seminar was that we need people in our lives who will tell us what we need to hear rather than what we want to hear. These uncomfortable conversations help us see our blind spots which mirrors the principle of feedback, allowing improvement. These people are not our enemies but supporters of our growth and development.
Day 2
Workshop 3 was “Communication, Conversations & Connecting”. This session has inspired me to use online platforms to further build my professional presence, engage with others and not shy away from providing updates about my own journey. My eyes have definitely been opened to the power of connecting and something as little as just knowing someone else's name.
Workshop 4 bought us “Building relationships that last”. Much of this session engaged our perception of trust, how we define and establish it and introduced us briefly to Brené Brown who once stated “trust is a product of vulnerability that grows over time and requires work, attention, and full engagement” which is something I wholeheartedly believe in. My question remains, what characteristics do people possess that comfort me in letting down my barriers?
Tuesday afternoon had all FALA 24 & 23 participants come together for the graduation of the FALA23 cohort. It was a beautiful ceremony with great words from our keynote speaker, Chloe Morgan, on the importance of resilience, following your heart and doing what makes you happy. Despite having City blue rather than Liverpool red ribbons, the presence of the Premier League trophy was also a delight.
Day 3
The third day got off to an earlier start as we had the pleasure of welcoming Fieri who delivered leadership development training formulated using the latest research.
Fieri workshop 1 introduced me to ‘action centred leadership’, a concept I was completely unfamiliar with, which involves a balanced share of responsibility between achieving a task, developing individuals and building a team. Together, we analysed a case study of Red Bull Racing at the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix which demonstrated that a leader sets the tone, providing confidence, clarity and in times of panic, tranquillity.
The second workshop of our Fieri day highlighted ‘The Performance Equation’. In a nutshell, “Action & Results = knowledge & skills + attitude & motivation + ability + support”. When one area of the equation may be lacking, it is probable that another element will be rich and thriving in order to maintain positive actions and quality results.
The Fieri fun continued into the afternoon as we were divided into groups and tasked with putting the key concepts of the morning's workshops into practice. There were six timed challenges to complete, each led by a different member of the team with a second in command by their side.
Soon into the afternoon, our squad developed a team phrase of “let them cook”. This simple yet empowering phrase acted as a reassurance and confidence tool, underlying that the whole team supported each other's efforts and contributions.
I had the absolute pleasure of being selected to be interviewed for a project with TMG. This was a real heart to heart moment, allowing me to open up about the highs and lows of my footballing journey but also to acknowledge the individuals who have influenced, supported and motivated me along the way. I walked away from the interview with a deeper appreciation for everyone who has been part of my journey as well as admiration of myself for my resilience, determination and dedication.
Day 4
A bittersweet start to our fourth and final day of the residential as we all knew that goodbyes were coming. “Understanding Identity and Allyship” was our fifth workshop. I have been encouraged to be an ally, to understand people's struggles that I do not necessarily suffer from and use my voice to support those who maybe aren't as fortunate to be heard or recognised. Uniting people and fighting the same battle is a weapon for empowerment.
Our sixth and final workshop was “Planning for Success”. We discussed SMART goal setting and how we could apply these principles to our FALA projects as well as the key characteristics required when project managing.
For one last time, the FALA24 cohort piled in for the closing ceremony. Here, we were gifted with a surprise video of “The Fresh Prince of FALA 24”, a collection of memorable moments across the four day residential that we will all be able to cherish forever.
The closing ceremony came to an end and sadness smothered the room as the realisation hit that it was time to say goodbye. Everyone was in awe of how quickly they had formed such close bonds with people they had only met four days ago which made leaving that little bit tougher.
Despite the frowns, deep down everyone was raring to get going with their community project and put all that they had learnt into practice. As I hugged my new friends goodbye, I reassured myself “it’s not goodbye but see you later” and with that, FALA24 I’ll see you at graduation. Roll on July 2025!
Acknowledgements
With funding from The Premier League, this opportunity has been made accessible to a much wider population as well as increased access to resources to enhance our experience. Thank you for supporting a great cause, promoting and valuing youth leadership.
Congratulations to the National FA Youth Council for delivering such an incredible opportunity for young leaders to meet like-minded individuals as well as learn and grow themselves. It was truly inspiring seeing people my age and younger delivering sessions to us 60 participants and still receiving the same respect and engagement by those older than them.
Thank you for a memorable four days and here's to the next twelve months.