How Sussex's inclusive football club setting great example

And they are backing the launch of new resources created by UK Coaching to help educate more coaches on how to encourage more diversity in sport through enjoyable and welcoming environments.

The Seagals are an established football club in the Sussex County Women & Girls’ Football League based in Brighton & Hove, offering a safe and inclusive space to play football for lesbian, bisexual, transgender women, or non-binary players.

The club are continuing to have a profound impact not just in Sussex, but across the game nationwide, recently honoured with the Women’s Game award at the Football v Homophobia Awards.

Alongside a supported programme for LGBTQ+ players and trainee coaches as part of a UEFA Women's EURO 2022 legacy project, the Seagals are active in ensuring the club ethos involves best practice for diversity, safety and welfare.

Where unconscious bias and discrimination can be rife in sport, the club are calling on coaches across the UK to test their own knowledge and learn more about how they can deliver the best care to encourage diversity within the game.

With the Seagals setting an outstanding example on how sessions can be delivered to embrace diversity and prioritise making everyone feel welcome, to support coaches at all levels UK Coaching have released a Duty to Care Hub, covering the topics of Safeguarding, Safe to Practice, Diversity, Inclusion, Mental Health and Well-being and Physical Well-being.

Ash Joyce, coach at Brighton Seagals, reflected on the shining example the club have been able to set, and where she sees the culture of sport and physical activity improving further: “My role involves planning fun sessions and trying to make everything as inclusive as possible.

"We have a range of abilities and experience levels, so everything has to consider how we can best support players to develop themselves. We are always working towards team and individual goals, but we are committed to ensuring everyone from any walk of life is welcome and feels empowered to take part.

“One of the things we do is before our sessions, we go around and get everyone to tell the group their name and preferred pronouns – we want to set the standard from the beginning so everyone knows we are taking their wellbeing seriously and this is a club where you are safe and respected.

“What we do covers all aspects of care – it’s really important to be first-aid trained for example, where the safety of our players is always protected. Our priority is to create an inclusive and fun space where anyone can play football.

“As a coach we have a duty to care - all aspects of wellbeing for our participants are our responsibility. That comes from within, it’s important that you also look after yourself too, that your mental and physical wellbeing is taken into account because that is what helps you recognise it in others.

“As a coach, self-care is really important. I enjoy being involved in sport, it gives me a lot to look after myself and it helps translate that to other players. Fitness is how I look after my own emotional wellbeing, others will have different ways, the most important thing is to be aware and mindful of it because we can only give our best to our participants when we are looking after ourselves too.”

For resources on how to deliver on inclusive practice and a duty to care in sport, visit https://www.ukcoaching.org/duty-to-care