Last week, 24^th February to 4^th March, saw the delivery of a successful Leicestershire & Rutland Respect Week of Action, which focused attention on the adult’s role in creating a player centred environment for young players.

The week incorporated a number of events, resources and a successful social media campaign which in total reached over 30,000 people, with over 60 clubs signing up the newly launched Leicestershire & Rutland Respect Pledge.

The events targeted a wide range of stakeholders in the grassroots game and included the delivery of a Leicestershire & Rutland Inclusive Football League event, County Youth Conference 2018 and a Coach CPD: Managing the Match Day Environment event. In total these events directly impact over 400 club officials, coaches, parents and other volunteers, with indirect impact being felt much wider. In addition, Leicester City FC v AFC Bournemouth, at the King Power Stadium, had a Respect Focus which helped further raise awareness to those in the game.

Unfortunately, the Respect Showcase Match at Riverside, and the Respect Showcase Event at Judgemeadow Community College were both postponed due to adverse weather conditions. The later has since been re-scheduled for Sunday 18th March, with a further announcement re: the Respect Showcase Match to be made shortly.

Please have a look at the photos here to see how the football community engaged in the week and played their part.

The challenge now is to build on the success of the week and continue to develop a better environment across youth football in Leicestershire & Rutland. We all; the County FA, Leagues, Clubs, Coaches, Parents and Referees have a role in achieving this, with more information on how you can #PlayYourPart to be found on our RESPECT page.

We pledge support for Respect in Leicestershire & Rutland, as we believe Football is For ALL and should be enjoyed in a safe, fun and inclusive environment. Respect is an important value in life, not just football. We want to ensure that the match day environments played are memorable for the right reasons. It’s all about creating the best possible football experiences.

Creating a Player Centred Environment Starts With You!

We invite you to continue to #PlayYourPart!