Women & Girls Football with Palace for Life
Want to play football with Palace for Life? Here's how!
In the stands, in local schools, and in back gardens and parks across South London, there are girls who are at the very start of their football journey, imagining what it might feel like to play on a stage like this one.
Across South London, we’re working with women and girls every single week to help turn that first spark of inspiration into opportunities to play football at every level. So, if you’re reading this want to get playing, or know someone who does, here’s how!
FREE COMMUNITY SESSIONS
Last year, we welcomed over 500 girls from 5 up to 18 into our free Premier League Kicks community football sessions. These sessions are weekly, open to any ability and are completely free of charge.
We run 13 mixed and 8 girls only sessions each week in a variety of locations across South London.
SOCCER SCHOOLS
For more structured football training sessions during the school holidays, you can join one of our Soccer Schools, usually held at Kent County Cricket Club and the Crystal Palace Academy.
These sessions start at £29 and are led by FA and UEFA licensed coaches with vast areas of expertise.
Our Easter half-term Soccer Schools are starting on Monday 30th March up to Friday 10th April and you can get 20% off bookings by using code EASTER20 at checkout.
WANT TO TAKE A BIT FURTHER?
Looking for weekly training to help develop skills in a structured environment? Our Girls Development Clinics are the way to go.
Email footballdevelopment@palaceforlife.org to find out about upcoming trials.
For players showing strong potential at our Development Centres, our Emerging Talent ID Programme this is a next step towards the Crystal Palace pathway. This session is invite only.
Last year, through our football pathway for girls, over 17 girls were offered trials into the Crystal Palace Women’s Academy!
OVER 18?
If you’re looking for relaxed, regular sessions, our Women’s Walking Football sessions is a walking version of the beautiful game, specifically designed to help maintain an active lifestyle in a social atmosphere, played weekly at the Crystal Palace Academy.
Our Women’s Recreational Football sessions are a slightly faster-paced version of the game, open to Women aged 18 + who want to get more active. Also played at the Crystal Palace Academy every week.
Across all of these sessions every journey needs to start somewhere. One of those girls is Harmony-Rose.
She first joined our Premier League Kicks sessions five years ago, taking her first steps into football at a local session in South London. Like many others, she arrived unsure and lacking confidence.
“I was really bad at first,” she says. “I couldn’t kick the ball straight. But I kept going and got better.”
What started as a place to play quickly became something more. Through regular sessions, Harmony-Rose developed her skills, built friendships and grew in confidence both on and off the pitch.
“I was nervous that first time, but everyone was really friendly and welcoming. It was a place where you could speak freely.”
Over time, she’s gone from being one of the youngest in the group to one of the most experienced, now helping to support and encourage new girls as they join.
“I’m really proud of how far I’ve come. Having confidence helps you play — if you believe you can do it, you’ve got a better chance.”
“To me, Premier League Kicks is a community. It’s like a whole other world.”
HELP US CONTINUE WORK LIKE THIS
Creating opportunities like this relies on Palace fans just like you. It’s made possible through the support of fundraisers, partners and supporters who really believe in our work locally.
One of the best ways you can support us is by taking on the Marathon March where supporters walk 26.2 miles together to raise vital funds to help us continue running programmes just like these.
Every step taken help more young people access programmes like these giving them the chance to build confidence, develop skills and create their own path.
This year, it’s on Saturday 3rd October and if you’d like to be part of it, you can sign up here.