New Zealand's Alana Gunn and Brazil's Simone Jatobá led their countries at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2024™
Both women recently took part in training programmes as part of FIFA's Women's Football Strategy
Gunn and Jatobá shared their experiences and spoke about the impact these programmes had on their career development
As part of FIFA's Women's Football Strategy, FIFA’s Women’s Football Division runs programmes that focus on training young female coaches. These programmes aim to equip participants with experience and resources to help them develop their careers. Not surprisingly, many of the coaches reach FIFA competition management status.
The most recent examples are New Zealand's Alana Gunn and Brazil's Simone Jatobá.
In 2022, Gunn enrolled in the FIFA Coach Education Scholarship Programme. That same year, Jatobá took part in the FIFA Coach Mentorship Programme. The two women both led their countries at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Dominican Republic 2024™.
Speaking to Inside FIFA, the duo discussed these programmes and how they have influenced their personal growth.
Seeing things differently
Jatobá's memory of the FIFA Coach Mentorship Programme is still fresh in her mind. “Mentoring gave me a new, very different, clearer way of looking at football. I was mentored by Corinne Diacre, who was coaching France at the time, and I couldn't believe how much knowledge she had,” she said.
“Corinne belonged to a group of mentors that included the likes of world and Olympic champions. Sharing experiences in this way leads to insights that you can't find in other courses,” added the 43-year-old Brazilian coach, a former world (2007) and Olympic (2008) runner-up as a player.
Since its establishment in September 2020, as part of FIFA Women's Football Development Programme, two editions of the FIFA Coach Mentorship Programme have been held, benefiting some 40 female coaches.
Jatobá's case is special because she had already been Brazil's U-17 coach in 2022. In fact, she led her team to the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2022™ while taking part in the programme.
“It was really useful for me at the time to attend the U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica beforehand as part of the programme. I also found it enlightening to travel to other countries as part of the course, to be with FIFA, etc. These are experiences that I can now look back on more calmly and differently. I am a changed woman compared to the one in 2022,” Jatobá pointed out.
However, she admits that she still digs up her notes from that time to find information that can be of use to her today. “I write everything down. It is very important for me because when I find time or if I am uncertain, I can use the information there to help me.”
She also acknowledged that her relationship with Diacre went beyond the programme. “She even called me before our first game in the Dominican Republic to wish me luck and to tell me that she would be there for me if I needed anything.”
While results did not go her way, and Brazil did not advance beyond the group stage in the Dominican Republic, there is another aspect of the programme that Jatobá highlighted. “The mentorship approach is great because it doesn't end when the course is over. The relationship not only continues with your mentor, but also with your network of contacts that you build up. That's another key added value that you don't get in other courses.”
Huge benefits
Gunn credits the FIFA Coach Education Scholarship Programme for its “immense benefit” to her. “Back then, I was a coach in the Football Association. So firstly, it helped me out financially to pay for my A Licence, which is a requirement in New Zealand football to secure positions like the one I have today,” said the 41-year-old coach.
“After that, I was lucky enough to be paired with Nina [Patalon], the Polish coach. Nina was so good at helping me look ahead and giving me the framework of what holding the position that I would reach later on would be like,” added Gunn, who took up her current role in December 2023.
“We touched on a lot of different topics and our communication and connection was fantastic. Nina had been an U-17 coach, she had already been on that journey in Poland. That's why she was the perfect mentor for me because I saw my future self in her.”
New Zealand also failed to make it past the group stage in the Dominican Republic, but Gunn is part of the Association's plan to continue training female coaches across the country, which is key to the ongoing development of the women's game.
“I still refer back to parts of my training from the FIFA programme to help me in delivering the programme that we are now running. Admittedly, it is on a different scale, but I work with women coaches with a C Licence in my region. I feel great about helping to inspire the next generation.”
Also launched in September 2020, the FIFA Coach Education Scholarship Programme has already reached more than 700 female coaches from all FIFA Member Federations.
In fact, Gunn is keen to be a mentor for the programme in the near future. “Part of our role as women in leadership is to be able to share our knowledge and experiences. Storytelling is a powerful tool, and we all have a story to tell. So yes, I would be ready to take on that role.”