Ivi Casagrande, who will be delivering workshops with VYD in August 2026
We Need More Women Coaching Girls’ Football. Will You Be One of Them?
By Gary Pleece, Founder of VYD
For too long, girls’ football has been growing on the pitch while the touchline has struggled to keep up.
More girls than ever are playing the beautiful game, discovering new skills, building confidence, forming lifelong friendships and falling in love with football. But when they look to the sidelines, they still too often see the same picture: coaching teams dominated by men.
And I’m one of them.
I manage two girls teams – Hove Park Colts Under-14s in the top division of the Sussex County Women & Girls Football League, as well as the Brighton & Hove District Under-14s representative side. Wherever I go, whether it’s league matches, tournaments or training nights, I see the same imbalance. There simply aren’t enough women on the touchline. I’m part of that reality, but I also want to be part of changing it.
Girls’ football deserves more women leading, coaching and inspiring the next generation. Not because men shouldn’t coach girls, but because the game is stronger when girls can learn from coaches who reflect their own experiences and show them what’s possible.
That’s why VYD is so passionate about creating genuine pathways for women into coaching. We don’t just want to talk about the problem, we want to do something about it.
The reality is simple, girls deserve to see women leading, inspiring and shaping their football journeys. At VYD we believe changing that isn’t just important, it’s essential.
That’s why we’re launching a brand-new coaching pathway through our Life Goals programme, designed to support more women into football coaching and help to create the next generation of female role models for girls across Brighton and Hove.
It won’t be just informative, but engaging workshops we’re holding with a brilliant female coach in August. It’ll be the start of a campaign to change the face of girls’ grassroots football in our city.
Learn from one of the best
The workshops will be led by Ivi Casagrande, a UEFA and FIFA-qualified coach educator with more than 21 years’ experience across Brazil, Europe, the USA and the UK. She has coached at professional level with Brighton & Hove Albion Women and Lewes FC and has helped develop coaching pathways for underrepresented groups.
Across two practical, engaging sessions, you’ll explore:
– Understanding the women’s and girls’ football landscape – and how coaches can help shape what comes next
– Creating positive, sustainable environments – for players, and for yourself as a coach
– Building confidence and developing your coaching identity
– Practical coaching skills for grassroots football
– Prioritising and building a sustainable coaching career with what you’ve got
– Physical development considerations and movement skills practical
Whether your aim is to coach your daughter’s team, support your local club or begin a long-term coaching career, these workshops are designed to give you the confidence to get started or to build on existing skills.
Workshop details
Dates
Saturday 15 August and Sunday 16 August
Time
10.30am – 2.30pm on both days
Venue
The Skep, Moulsecoomb Place
A light lunch and refreshments will be provided each day.
If you can’t make both days, it’s ok to just come to one session, but ideally you’d make both.
Who is it for?
We’re especially looking for women who are:
– Interested in coaching for the very first time.
– Curious about giving something back to girls’ football.
– Looking to build confidence in a supportive environment.
– Beginning their coaching journey and wanting to learn from an expert.
The workshops are completely free for women who are taking their first steps into coaching. VYD will also pay for First Aid and Introduction to Football Qualifications (capped at 8 coaches, these coaches will get first refusal on spaces) as well as providing paid opportunities to coach the new girls teams at Crew Club Hawks, VYD’s grassroots youth football partner.
The workshops are also open to existing female, non-binary and male grassroots coaches who are looking for valuable continuing professional development (CPD), fresh ideas and an opportunity to develop alongside other coaches in the game. If you’re in this category, all we ask is that you provide a small donation to VYD on this page to help us sustain this campaign (all donations received will be ring-fenced for Life Goals development).
Help us change the game
Every new woman who steps into coaching creates new opportunities for girls to believe they belong in football. This is about far more than qualifications, it’s also about building confidence, creating role models and growing an underrepresented community and ensuring the future of girls’ football is shaped by more women.
If you’ve ever thought, “Maybe coaching is something I could do,” this is your moment.
Sign up now
Places are limited to 20 participants, so early booking is essential. Booking closes on August 10th.
Join us on 15 & 16 August and become part of a movement that wants to change the future of girls’ football across the city.
Sign up here
