Infrastructure, accessibility and player pathways are some of the key areas targeted in the Irish FA’s new five-year strategy for women’s and girls’ football in Northern Ireland.
Angela Platt, director of women’s football in the IFA, said the the new strategy will provide the “blueprint” for the sport going forward.
The association said the new strategy took 15 months to complete and consists of “five key pillars”.
Grassroots football and the everyday game – increasing accessibility for women and girls throughout Northern Ireland.
Clubs and competitions – strengthen the club infrastructure and improve the competitiveness.
Performance pathway for young players – from youth levels through to the senior national team.
People development – recruiting, developing and retaining a skilled workforce, both professional and voluntary, to grow the game.
Profile and visibility – continue to grow the trajectory of greater visibility and advocacy of the women’s game.
Platt said the previous five-year strategy “built a really strong foundation” and the new plan will look to continue that progress.
“Across those five pillars we have a clear direction in terms of the key areas we want to work on,” she said.