Mums can be a safe pair of hands

Published on Tuesday 18 March 2008 09:23

Women and girls may be watching and playing football in growing numbers, but scour the touchlines for a female coach and you'll almost certainly be disappointed. KATY ROSS hears why Heather Gordon, mother of Scotland hero Craig, wants the situation to change, and meets two women who are already playing their part.

STANDING on the side of the rain-soaked pitch on a freezing day in March, Heather Gordon felt a pang of despair.

Waiting in goal for the next opposition attack was her ten-year-old son Craig – now the most expensive British goalkeeper in history – and defeat was almost a certainty.

The team from Currie Hill Primary School had done well to make it to the final of the Edinburgh Primary School Sports Association (EPSSA) Cup, but with half-time approaching they were 3-0 down.

The game was the conclusion of months of preparation for Craig and his teammates, and defeat would come as a terrible blow. But while despair was written on the faces of most of the young players, Heather felt a rush of pride when she saw the determined expression worn by her young son.

The mum-of-three, who recently celebrated her 50th birthday as a spectator at one of Craig's Premiership games for Sunderland – says: "It's a terrible thing to watch your child in a situation like that. You always want them to come out on top – not because you need them to but because you know it will be easier for them.

"Still, learning how to lose is as important as learning how to win graciously – and Craig looked defeat in the eye that day and rose to the challenge. I felt incredibly proud of him."

Heather, who works for the Forestry Commission, is spearheading a new campaign called Mums on the Ball with a host of other Premiership footballers' mums, to get more women involved in grassroots coaching.

It is thought that mothers can help fill a shortfall of youth coaches being felt across the UK, at the same time as introducing new skills into the grassroots game.

Although growing numbers of women and girls are watching and playing football, you can probably count on one hand the number coaching in the Lothians.

The campaign, which has been launched in conjunction with McDonald's fast food chain and is backed by The FA, Scottish FA, Irish FA and Welsh Football Trust, will raise awareness of the qualities that mums can bring to coaching. It will also help mums become qualified coaches by providing 160 free places on courses across the UK and 32 in Scotland, with one course in Edinburgh in the summer.

While Heather never actually coached her young son, leaving that to Craig's 51-year-old dad David. As well as being a Hearts Youth Academy goalkeeping coach, he handles all Craig's affairs. But his mum believes her role was equally important in her son's football development.

"I tried to be a shoulder to cry on when things didn't work out well, and was there to celebrate his successes too," she says. "To this day he often discusses how a game went with me. I'm no expert but I think he does look to me for a certain kind of support." Heather believes mums can play a pivotal role in helping children to achieve their ambitions on the football pitch.

"Women bring different qualities to coaching than men, but are equally valuable," she says. "Sometimes children need reassurance, nurturing or emotional support, and we are good at those things. We can also play an important role when it comes to planning and organisation.

"Football used to be dominated by men, but that is no longer the case. There are more women coming along to games now and their input is important."

As well as his mum, Craig can also count on the support of his two sisters and his girlfriend Jennifer, 25. Heather says that their backing, along with the encouragement he received as a child, is crucial to his ongoing success.

&#149 For further information about Mums On The Ball, to download a free guide or to register interest for one of the coaching courses, visit www.mcdonalds.co.uk (Be Active section) or call 0845 259 1085.

'I loved football and it seemed obvious I should work in an area I enjoy'

WHEN Leigh Robertson graduated in sports coaching and sports development from the University of Dundee, she was the only girl in her class to pursue a career in football. This is despite the fact there was an equal gender split in her year group.

"I was definitely the odd one out," laughs the 29-year-old, who is now community manager and a coach at Livingston Football Club . "Most of the girls wanted to work in gymnastics but I always loved football and it seemed obvious I should work in an area I enjoyed."

Nine years on, Leigh, from Uphall, couldn't be happier with her chosen career, but she admits there have been times when she has battled against traditional preconceptions of her role as a children's coach.

"Sometimes people are surprised when they see a woman in the job, but that's a shame. We can bring a unique set of skills and qualities that men don't necessarily have," she says.

"I think I've earned the respect of my colleagues but it hasn't always easy. I started at the club on the corporate side of things and worked part-time coaching kids. But over time people could see how serious I was about a career in football and I was gradually promoted."

Now Leigh runs daily coaching sessions for children and encourages community involvement. She has recently started advertising all-girl coaching sessions with the aim of encouraging more girls to get involved in the sport.

"If girls are encouraged to participate when they are young, it will eventually influence their involvement in the sport at all levels," she says. "More women will go to matches and there will be more female coaches."

'I realised there was a gap at the club for a female coach'

SUE McLernon spent last Saturday morning watching Edinburgh schoolgirls compete against each other in the Hibernian Community Girls Cup at Leith Academy.

As community manager at the football club, it was her job to launch the new under-16 competition, and it was also, she said, one of her proudest days.

"It was brilliant," she says, reliving the final between Leith Academy and Currie High School. "All the girls were enjoying themselves and taking the competition seriously. I knew we had achieved something exceptional when I saw them running on to the pitch. It was a highlight in my career."

The mum-of-three, who is in her 40s, got involved in coaching children several years ago. "I've always been a huge football fan," she says, "but it was only when I began work at Hibs that I went for a more hands-on approach.

"I realised there was a gap at the club for a female coach. I also saw that my club experience, coupled with my time as a fan, meant I could be an asset."

The single mum, who lives in Leith with children Shaun, 18, Danielle, 16 and Kerr, 13 – a goalkeeper for Raith Rovers' under-14s – believes more women should get involved in football coaching.

"I'm really glad I did it and I'd urge any woman who is thinking about coaching children to go for it," she says. "It's good for the children to see a woman working in what is traditionally a male sport."