It was a weekend of celebration for Annie Zaidi after she passed her UEFA B Licence at the second time of asking earlier in the week.
Accredited by the FA, the Level 3 UEFA B Licence is designed for coaches working with a team of U14s upwards in an 11v11 format. The course content has theory and practical components that are delivered by home-based study tasks and tutor delivered workshops.
This marks a huge personal milestone for Annie who has become the first Muslim female UEFA B coach in the UK and Europe. The qualification is the third tier of the coaching ladder and one level below the Level 4 UEFA A Licence which, undoubtedly, is Annie’s next target.
An elated but rather relieved Annie told us about the challenges she faced along the way:
"The past 18 months have been very tough. I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices, study hard, and do lots of traveling to and from coaching sessions. There were days when I started to doubt myself but I made it with the support of my mentor Wallace Hermitt and Micheal Bennett from the PFA. I’m feeling very proud right now."
To find out how you can support the Coach AnnieZ Foundation and get involved, please email: lucyej92@hotmail.com.