Youth Development in the women’s game: An analysis of Club Academy Systems and College-Based Pathways
The Football Association (FA) has introduced significant reforms to the Women’s and Girls’ Playing Pathway, aimed at improving accessibility, inclusivity, and the identification and development of elite talent across England.
Following an extensive period of consultation within the game, these changes target girls and young women aged between eight and twenty, ensuring that football development opportunities are accessible to all communities nationwide.
Kay Cossington, the FA’s Women’s Technical Director, emphasised the importance of widening access to the game stating:
“We want to make sure that we can reach every community in this country and give every young girl the chance to realise her dream of playing professional football or for England.”
Emerging Talent Centres (ETCs)
A central element of the redesigned pathway is the establishment of up to 70 FA-funded Emerging Talent Centres (ETCs) for girls aged 8 to 16, supported jointly by the FA and the Premier League. These centres are designed to increase access to high-quality coaching while allowing players to remain at their local grassroots clubs.
By 2024, the FA set a target for 95% of players to live within one hour’s travel of an ETC, with the aim of significantly reducing the long-distance travel that had historically acted as a barrier to participation. As Cossington explained, players will no longer need to “travel two or three hours to get to a club they deem to be professional” but can instead continue playing locally while accessing structured talent development.
Each ETC will deliver a 30-week training programme, carefully mapped around education and school holidays, working in collaboration with players’ existing clubs. Centres will be delivered locally by a range of partners, including professional clubs, grassroots organisations, colleges, county football associations, and the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) teams. This flexible delivery model enhances inclusivity and ensures regional representation across the country.
FA Professional Game Academies (PGAs)
For players aged 14 to 20, the FA established the FA Professional Game Academies (PGAs), which replaced the former FA WSL Academies from the 2023-24 season onwards. These Academies will operate within clubs competing in the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship.
The introduction of PGAs aims to improve the transition from youth football to the professional game and ultimately to the England national teams. By providing consistent, high-quality development environments, the FA hopes to produce players who are better prepared for first-team football at both club and international levels.
Education and dual-career pathways
Women’s football pathways in the UK increasingly emphasise a balance between academic education and elite football training. Many colleges work in partnership with professional or semi-professional club to offer specialised football academies for players aged 16 to 19.
Examples include:
- Tottenham Hotspur Women’s Academy in partnership with Barnet and Southgate College.
- Exeter College Women’s Football Academy in collaboration with Exeter City Women.
- Bristol City Women’s FC working alongside SGS College.
These programmes typically combine full-time education, such as A-levels or BTEC Sport Diplomas, with professional-standard coaching, strength and conditioning, and match analysis.
Beyond college, players may progress to British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) football, where universities offer competitive environments, scholarships, and comprehensive support services including physiotherapy and sport science. Additionally, some pathways provide assistance with securing football scholarships to NCAA universities in the United States, offering an alternate route to continue playing while pursuing higher education.
These education-based pathways also prepare individuals for careers within the sports industry, such as coaching sports therapy, nutrition, performance analysis, and sports business or marketing.
Club-led professional structures in women’s football
The structure of women’s professional football in England has recently shifted towards a club-led system. The top two tiers-the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship- are now governed by Women’s Professional Leagues Limited, operating separately from the FA.
This model priorities the commercial growth and professionalisation of the women’s game, granting clubs greater autonomy over financial management, strategic planning, and branding. Increased investment and sponsorship aim to improve facilities, media exposure, and long-term sustainability.
However, while this system presents opportunities-such as facility upgrades supported by funding bodies like the Premier League Stadium Fund-it also raises concerns about the potential exclusion of financially weaker clubs. Ensuring equitable growth requires strong leadership and a compelling commercial strategy.
Factors driving the growth of elite women’s football
The rapid increase in elite player development within women’s football is driven by several interconnected factors. Significant financial investment, including FIFA’s $1 billion commitment between 2020 and 2022, has enhanced professionalism and reduced the need for players to balance football with additional employment.
Increased media coverage and global visibility have further boosted participation and interest, while advances in coaching standards, including position-specific training, have improved player development from a young age. Modern sports science and performance technology, such as GPS tracking and data analytics, now play a vital role in monitoring performance, preventing injuries, and accelerating physical development.
Finally, the expanding popularity of women’s football has created a larger talent pool, increasing the likelihood of identifying and nurturing elite players capable of succeeding at the highest levels of the game.