14/05/13….Here come the girls !

THIS year’s FA Girls? Football Festival is to be held in Thame, at Meadowview Park, this coming Saturday, May 18.

The festival, which is run in association with Continental Tyres, is a free programme aimed at encouraging girls to participate in football, and will run from 10.30am – 2.30pm at the home of Thame United.

England and Arsenal Ladies stars, Steph Houghton and Ellen White, and Eni Aluko from Chelsea Ladies, will be making an appearance on the day, when around 300 girls will competing in the Oxford Mail Girls Football League Finals Day 2013, organised through the support of the Oxfordshire FA.

Last year, nearly 7,000 girls experienced festivals across the country. The programme, travelling around England for the second year, is a joint initiative by The FA and Continental Tyres providing girls aged 5 ? 17 with an exciting, interactive football experience for both those new to the game and regular players. The format of the day is fun and active, combining football, lifestyle and music.

The festival is led by FA approved coaches and includes skills and drills, interactive games and mini matches. An interactive trailer will house trophies and digital stations to entertain girls during intervals and a range of innovative equipment, including inflatable pitch, target shots, speed cage and batak boards will feature, as well as hair braiding and face painting to add to the festival atmosphere.

In addition, coaches from across the county are invited to experience a new coaching tool; The ContiWarmUp Programme – the newest endorsed coaching programme by The FA. Coaches can find out more about ContiWarmUp, take part in a demonstration and discuss the benefits of warming up in a structured way with a Continental Coach in a question and answer session.

The League Cup Finals across all the age groups from U10 through to U16 will kick off at 10am followed by a day of celebration with the League Presentation Day going on all day from 11.25am until 4.30pm. The Cup Winners and Runners-up will receive their awards along with the presentations to the League Winners and Runners-up.

Chris Webb, Chairman of the Oxford Mail Girls Football League, said ?We are really pleased to be able to host an FA Girls? Football Festival alongside our event, with all the recent promotion of the female game and Oxford United Ladies FC successful application to the FA WSL 2, we hope this will raise the profile of the female game and attract more girls to want to play football. An exciting time for Oxfordshire!?

Kelly Simmons, The FA Head of National Game, said: ?The FA Girls? Football Festivals in association with Continental Tyres are a fantastic platform for girls of all ages and abilities to develop their skills and understanding of the game in an informal, enjoyable and engaging way.

?This year we aim to reach more girls across England and provide them with a fun experience, as well as the chance to meet and interact with role models from The FA WSL. We hope to ignite an interest in the game that they will be able to develop through their local schools, clubs and County FA?s.?

Laura Hardy, sponsorship manager at Continental Tyres, added: ?We are really proud to be taking The FA Girls? Football Festivals around England for the second year. With football now the number one female team participation sport in England, our aim is to ensure its continued growth amongst youngsters and provide as many girls as possible with the opportunity to experience football with fantastic role models through fun and informal interactive games. For more information about our activities with women’s and girls? football, visit www.contisoccerworld.co.uk

For more information on The FA Girls? Football Festivals in association with Continental Tyres please visit: www.TheFA.com/girlsfootball

SOURCE: Press release