FA brings Future Lionesses event to St Joseph's College, Ipswich Monday 28 November 2022

Published on isbi School News dated Monday 12th of December 2022

Designed to find the next generation of Lionesses, the Talent ID event held on 25 October welcomed 80 players, aged between 12-15, from across East Anglia who have been referred into the Women’s England Talent Pathway from ANY playing environment, including Grassroots Football Clubs, School and Community environments, Regional Talent Clubs and Emerging Talent Centres.

Football Pathway Manager at St Jo's and England Youth Coach Paige Shorten explains the role St Jo’s plays in helping the next generation of Lionesses: "Through the FA Regional Talent ID Strategy, we have been highlighted as a location to host an event for striving female footballers in the East Region where we will host a Future Lionesses Talent ID event where I will be leading the event on behalf of the FA in my part-time role as a Technical Coach for the East Region.

I am so excited to welcome female footballers to St Joseph's College and host the opportunity for players in the east region to be seen. I will be joined by a dedicated FA staff team who will run the event for all players referred in a variety of ways including grassroots football clubs, schools, community environments, regional talent clubs and emerging talent centres. This time around this will be a closed event and invite only but, in the future, we will be looking to open this up as an open-access event to support talent in the East of England."

St Joseph’s College offers an explementary sports programme that is renowned across East Anglia, offering performance sport coaching in cricket, rugby, netball and football, and has seen eight students go on to play in the Senior Ipswich Town Football Club Womens Squad.