Katie Chapman recently joined current and future students on our Chelsea FC Foundation Degree programme for a virtual webinar based around equality and diversity in football.
The online call was primarily arranged for those who have applied for our Football Coaching and Development programme in partnership with St Mary’s University and is part of our commitment to stay engaged with the students during the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Chelsea FC Women’s captain was among several guests for the two-hour webinar, joining the students for a lively discussion about the future of women’s football and challenges facing women and girls who want a career in football.
Chapman, who is now a club ambassador having retired from professional football in 2018, said: ‘It was a pleasure to join the webinar to discuss such an important topic.
‘Entering the world of football can be daunting for a female and it is important the next generation of coaches challenge that stigma and encourage women and girls of all ages to get involved in the game.
‘I have been involved with the Chelsea Foundation course at St Mary University in the past for International Women’s Day and the students are an impressive bunch. I hope those who are thinking about applying found the webinar useful and look forward to further discussions in the future.’
The webinar was organised by the Foundation’s project officer for the St’ Marys programme Adrian Salisbury and is part of a series of webinars designed to support students currently making decisions about their futures.
Chapman was joined by a variety of guest speakers including Football Association Coach Diversity and Inclusion Manager Butch Fazal and England Partially Sighted National Team Manager Jon Whittingham. Students were also joined by FA Elite Mentee’s, Moaz Awadelkarim and Laura Kaminski who shared their journey’s with students.
Salisbury said: ‘It was a pleasure to be able to host a webinar around a topic that is rightfully at the forefront of minds. Equality, diversity and inclusion are all embedded heavily within our programme, as they are within the Foundation, and students on the programme complete modules relating to this as part of their studies.
‘Katie was brilliant with our students and prospective students on the call, discussing some lighter topics such as her experiences in the game, the women’s World Cup and FA Cup finals she has played in, and also touching on the growth in the women’s game particularly in recent years.
‘She highlighted the need for the women’s game to continue this upward curve. She was really engaged and forthcoming in conversations with students, which I’m sure was appreciated by all on the call.’
Gemma Taylor, one of our graduating students on the call, added: ‘I thoroughly enjoyed the webinar, it was great to hear from Katie, she is a fantastic role model for girls and women, so to get some insight to her journey and her perspective around the women’s game was invaluable.’
For more information on our programme in partnership with St Mary’s University, which is still open for applicants, click on the links below or email [email protected]