Hucknall Warriors FC was founded in May 2006 for the purpose of providing local youth with the opportunity to experience the delights of the great game.
The aim is to run the club in a professional manner for both the development of players and the enjoyment of all. The club is committed to high levels of communication to both parents and players alike.
We set out to be a little different from some clubs in that we placed the development of players above winning at all cost. This philosophy requires a different type of thinking from managers and club officials in what is essentially a competitive sport.
Having my own son in one of the teams for the past five years I can see what being part of a football team can do for youngsters, not just in the development of their footballing skills, but in all aspects of their life. Being in a team develops their social skills, their ability to work as part of a team, their discipline and gives them a sense of achievement; not just by winning matches but also by improving as players.
I have also seen how youngsters can develop over the years at different levels and at different speeds. The stars at seven year old may well not be the stars in the team at 14 years old, consequently, those less gifted players at a young age, can often, by good coaching and encouragement, improve to become the most skilful players over the years. So in our view its essential that players are given the chance to play football and not be sidelined by competitive managers and coaches in search of glory and promotion.
Youth football is not all about winning but of course we all want our teams to do well and ideally win matches. I think what we are saying is its a balance and one that we have seen work well at this club. Giving players a decent amount of time on the pitch at weekends is the only way they will develop their confidence and improve their game.
We have many players in our teams who have been with us for over five years – that’s a testament to the enjoyment they still get from the game and this football club.
The club applied in July 2007 to become FA Charter Standard Status, an award only given to those clubs who meet stringent conditions set out by the FA. The club was awarded Charter Standard in September 2007 and an award presentation took place in front of a few thousand supporters at the England U19 international at Notts County FC on 11 September 2007. This was something we were very proud of for a club in only its second season at that time. The presentation was made by Les Howie, Head of Club Development for the FA and John Waterall, Life President of the FA.
Running a football club brings with it a set of responsibilities; you become responsible for a set of players, a set of parents and depending on the size of the club, you become responsible for a substantial amount of pound notes incoming and outgoing.
Essentially we wanted to make sure we were doing things properly, legally and to make sure that our players and parents could be comfortable that they were in safe hands – I think that the FA Charter Standard means just that; safe, secure, properly run with the right controls and procedures in place. Thats what our Club Constitution tries to do, its the bible that spells out what members of this football club can expect from us.
Also being a Charter Standard Club ensures that teams have the right level of qualified coaches on board and that first aid and child welfare is high on everyone’s agenda. All in all I believe that our club has benefitted from being a Charter Standard Club and we have the confidence that we are doing things properly and serving our members well as a result of being Charter Standard.
Hucknall Warriors FC have achieved so much in the four years they have been in existence and now have four teams – one U8, one U10 and two U14. We have literally raised thousands of pounds for various causes over the years, and being a fairly small club we are able to do things a little different from some of the larger clubs. Running a large club is totally different from running one with only 50 players on board.
We pride ourselves on not only serving the members of the club well (we put a substantial amount of players subs back in to each team) but also on our fund raising achievements which occur usually a couple of times a year. We also try to create a real club community through our web site and from other social activities.
We do not know how the club will develop going forwards but one thing is for sure, the club will continue to honour its commitments under the FA Charter Standard not because we have to - but because we believe its the right thing to do.
To learn more about Hucknall Warriors FC you can visit their website by clicking here!
If you are an FA Charter Standard Club and would like to be considered for this feature then please contact Craig Lee on 0115 9837414 or craig.lee@nottinghamshirefa.com