Sagwati Malabi has been appointed as Preston North End Community and Education Trust’s [PNECET] Female Football Development Co-ordinator to lead on all aspects of the new girls’ football Emerging Talent Centre [ETC] for the next three years.
PNECET was one of 60 providers nationwide, and one of nine in the north west, to be granted a licence to deliver a girls’ football Emerging Talent Centre by the FA earlier this summer.
The ETC will provide elite coaching and playing opportunities for girls in and around Preston, helping to meet the FA’s aim to ensure that any young female player can access an ETC within a one-hour drive of their home, while simultaneously increasing the number of females playing football at all levels, and of all abilities, locally.
Sagwati – who has worked in the role of Schools Provision Officer for PNECET for the past three years, and helped to develop our unique anti-racism education programme, Together As One – will take on the newly formed role of Female Football Development Co-ordinator to lead on the ETC.
A UEFA B Licence Qualified coach, Sagwati has extensive coaching experience in women’s and girls’ football, already holding the role of PNECET’s women’s and girls’ football lead.
He is also a member of the advisory board for the north west region of the Girls’ Talent Inclusion programme and is a long-term volunteer coach with Preston North End Women’s Junior FC, currently with the U15 side.
Sagwati also holds a coaching role with the club’s Academy, assisting with the development of players in various age-groups across the Foundation Phase and Youth Development Phases.
Sagwati Malabi said: “I’m extremely proud to have been given this opportunity to help develop the talented female footballers of the future.
“The most important thing for us at Preston North End Community and Education Trust is to ensure that all of our participants enjoy the playing environment which we provide at our Emerging Talent Centre. A positive environment can only be beneficial for the girls’ development as players and as people.
“We hope to support as many girls as possible to progress onto the England Talent Pathway through our Emerging Talent Centre and to continue to encourage all of our participating girls to remain actively involved in football throughout their time with us.”
Jessica Riley, Head of Health and Wellbeing, added: “We are delighted to have appointed Sagwati Malabi to the role of Elite Female Football Development Coordinator as we continue to put plans in place for the imminent start of our Emerging Talent Centre girls’ football programme.
“Sagwati is a talented coach with a wide variety of relevant coaching experiences, ensuring he will be as impactful engaging girls in playing football for the first time through continued primary school delivery as he will providing high-quality coaching to the most talented girls selected for our programme.”
Before the ETC programme begins, the Trust is continuing to recruit further casual members of staff to form part of the provision, including coaches, a goalkeeping coach, a strength and conditioning coach and a physio.
All roles will be advertised on the Trust’s website and social media channels as soon as applications are open.
For more information about the girls’ football Emerging Talent Centre, please email sagwati.malabi@pne.com.