The 2022/23 season will see LFE introduce a series of online webinars called ‘Online Open Goals‘, with one set to take place each month.
The first workshop will be delivered by Stonewall on 14th July 2022, titled Supporting LGBTQ+ People In Football, with academy staff invited to participate and learn about the challenges faced by those within the LGBTQ+ community.
In May, Blackpool’s second-year Apprentice Jake Daniels stepped forward into the public eye as homosexual. Having been supported by the club and football’s governing bodies, there has been a positive response to his performances and well-being.
LFE is committed to supporting academy and CTSP staff and learners in enhancing their knowledge of this process, with the workshop covering the following:
- What LGBTQ+ means and what barriers LGBTQ+ people face in society.
- Why supporting different identities are important in football.
- How to build a supportive environment within your football club.
- How to support someone coming out.
- Practice scenarios.
- Q&A.
Speaking about the series, LFE Life Skills Manager Simon Williams said: “It is important that LFE provides an educational space that is accessible to all people, from players and staff through to parents and carers. This online series will have a wide and far reach, covering a breadth of life skills subjects relevant to each month, and the challenges faced in football and society in 2022. There will be subject specialists hosting a workshop to raise awareness and improve knowledge to support everyone’s personal development.”
