“I saw the advert for the role, read it, loved the sound of it, and then immediately put it to one side.
“I guess you’re always your own worst critic, aren’t you? So my head went straight down the route of dismissing my chances. Am I good enough for it? Even if I was, am I really going to get it? Those were my initial thoughts.
“Deep down I knew it was perfect for my progression as a coach, the right new experience at just the right time in my career. Yet it still took a big old prod and push from my partner and close friends to convince me to apply. Now, 18 months on, I am so happy that I did.”
This is the voice of Eva Egginton, Under-10 coach and Foundation Phase Operations Lead at the Nottingham Forest Academy.
It was via the Premier League’s Coach Inclusion Diversity Scheme (CIDS) that this opportunity arose for the former Sheffield United Women’s Regional Talent Club coach, who is currently 18 months into a 23-month placement with the club.
Asked to come in for an interview in the summer of 2023, the 34-year-old admits that despite venturing outside her comfort zone, moving from girls’ football to boys, an aura of calmness came over her at an opportune moment.
She said: “I guess because I’d worked in football and sports development for many years, taking up various roles across universities, county FA’s, national organisations and charities, I was used to answering questions under a fair degree of scrutiny. I had also lived and breathed football for as long as I can remember.
“So, when it came to my practical interview, coaching a group of boys, I was totally relaxed. I thought to myself, ‘I know this, I know what I’m doing’ and I guess I went out there and showed I was the best candidate for the role.”
Just a few weeks after starting out at Forest as Cell Lead for the Under 9s and 10s, a staffing restructure saw Egginton asked to perform a different dual-role instead.
She would be the academy’s Under-10 coach, while combining that job with a position leading the operational logistics for all age groups between the under 7s to under 12s.
“It’s a good job I’m super organised,” jokes the bubbly and likeable Egginton, as she outlines the time it takes to plan venues, travel, kick-off times, squad lists, staff, food etc. alongside the Operations Department."
A 'scary' start to coaching
It is her passion for coaching and developing players which brings the most enjoyment, though.
And as the only female coach working at Nottingham Forest Boys Academy, it also fills her with enormous pride.
Before getting into the nuts and bolts of how her coaching has developed since switching from the women’s game, we start by asking how the experience of walking into a boy’s academy for the first time felt as the sole woman.
Speaking candidly, Egginton says, “Initially I found being the only female coach quite challenging. I don’t mind admitting that coming into it was quite scary at first. I was wondering how people would react to me, a different type of face and voice. Would they embrace me?
“Maybe some of the parents found it a bit different at first, but the staff, my fellow coaches and all the players were brilliant with me right from the off.
“I’m so grateful for all the support I received, which allowed me to settle in quicker, and to shake off that natural imposter syndrome you can feel going into an environment where the boys are only used to hearing male voices.”
Making early strides
Egginton first caught the coaching bug as a 15-year-old doing Year 10 work experience at the South Derbyshire District Council, where she assisted on their sport development units, while also volunteering to help at the school holiday camps they ran.
Having played football since the age of eight, representing Burton Albion in her teens, the former midfielder/defender/goalkeeper (in the later days!) graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2012.
A series of full-time leadership and co-ordinator roles followed in the public sector, while coaching football in her spare time. Between 2014 and 2023, Egginton worked part-time at Sheffield United, coaching every age group from the Under 10s to Under 16s in the Blades’ centre of excellence, and later their Regional Talent Club.
As Head Coach of Sheffield United’s Under-16’s girls’ side, Egginton held aspirations of working with the Under-21’s – seeing that as the natural, next step on the ladder – but unfortunately a role was not forthcoming.
At the perfect time Forest came knocking, so now working with boys at a much younger age level, we ask how she has had to adapt her coaching style…
“The way I coach is completely different to how I started,” she admits without a moment’s hesitation.
“In the 11-a-side game I came from focusing a lot on tactics, walking through patterns of play and trying to replicate those pictures in game moments. Here it’s obviously more development focused, with the methodology and what we are going after as a club, always at the forefront of what we do.
“Working with younger children now, and also boys compared to girls, I have had to adapt to coach in a different manner and energy to consider how young children learn best,” she continues, with a broad, knowing smile breaking out.
“That means I am in-and-out quickly with my messaging to the players. We try to work to a 30-second intervention time, and change the challenge points frequently to keep things fresh.
“That’s been a big learning for me, and it’s fascinating how different my style is now compared to those early sessions I took here at Nottingham Forest.”
Changes and improvement
“The way I interact with the boys, working around observing ‘skilful silences’, and how I drive boys on as individual players, has brought me on so much as a coach. I set them little challenges to put into practice and encourage them to explore. Making mistakes is also OK, so we tell them to try and try again.
“My coaching language has also changed. I must find new ways to explain game scenarios, which are easily digestible to a nine-year-old.
“I’ve learned that giving the boys one or two little nuggets of information at a time is the way forward. Handing them building blocks, one by one, is the most effective way to help them understand the game. Sometimes, a couple of bricks might have to come down, before we go back up, but again, that’s OK.
“At this age of course, at the heart of all we do, is making sure everything is fun. It’s great. I am really enjoying the whole experience.”
As part of the CIDS programme, Egginton and the other members of her cohort dotted around the country, participate in various workshops, and Forest’s Under-10 coach has found them very useful.
“It’s surprising how much a comedy workshop can help you on the grass,” she says dead pan, before adding, “On the face it, things like that don’t make sense straight away but once you’ve completed an experience like that, it all becomes clearer.
“Challenging Conversations was a brilliant session too. Learning how to manage and control discussions that you may have with parents or management, is an important skill.”
Getting the right guidance
Egginton has also found the use of a Premier League mentor, in her case, coach developer Justyn Price, very beneficial.
“I find it so useful in regard to using by brain wisely, and ensuring I take the time to make reflections,” says the 34-year-old.
“Justyn is great to bounce ideas off, and because of his coach developer and football experience we also talk lots about finding dedicated planning time, or about structuring my sessions so that they link and have a theme. When I have extra time to plan, I work at my best, so it’s always good to check in with him.”
Our conversation reverts to her position as one of very few female coaches working in boys’ academies, with Egginton revealing she has only interacted with a handful of non-males in her working environment.
Tellingly, despite holding aspirations to experience something new, she admits this was the first post she’d ever had the courage to apply for in the men’s game.
“I wonder if there’s something that could be tweaked around the wording of some of the job adverts to make them more appealing to women,” she ponders. “Initially when I read the brief, and others I’ve seen, it felt like experience in the male game was something I’d need to be shortlisted, and that put me off.
“Bringing more female coaches in from the ‘outside’ as I’ve done, and finding ways to encourage more to apply, would be fantastic. The more women that get employed, the more it will give hope to others who’d also love to be a part of the men’s game. If you can see it, you can be it.”
Egginton’s 23-month placement finishes at the end of the 2024/25 season, and she is hopeful a permanent role at Nottingham Forest will follow - as it has done for many other coaches who have graduated from the Coach Inclusion Diversity Scheme.
In the longer term she has a ‘completely open mind’ on taking up on staying in the men’s side or moving back to women’s football.
“All I am focusing on right now is my coach development, fine tuning my skills and becoming the best possible version of myself. I’m completing the FA’s Advanced Youth Award at the minute, which will expand my ability, and then when the time is right I would like to complete my UEFA A Licence.
“I’m very happy working with the younger age groups, but let’s see what the future holds. Male game, female game, older age groups, senior football, or staying where I am, who knows? I just want to strive to get better.
“Right now, it’s all about learning. With my Under-10s coaching, the operational logistics role, workshops, case studies, project work, and the qualifications I’m undertaking, there’s a lot going on.
“When you throw in a personal life and looking after my dogs, there’s not much time to look too far ahead!
“In the here and now I am very happy with the direction of travel. Earning the chance to work at Nottingham Forest was a proud moment for me, and I am determined to make the most of this opportunity.”
Also in this series