Following a busy summer period at Compton Park, head of women and girls’ football, Jenna Burke-Martin, has provided an update of changes that have taken place.
From departures and fresh faces in the staffing department to a shift in the pathway engineered for young players to edge closer to the first-team picture, amongst other off-field enhancements, Burke-Martin has provided a detailed account.
On staff changes over the summer
"We’ve really looked to develop the overall structure and widen the base of our programme to ensure that it has stability. As a club and for moving forward, that’s really important for the growth over a longer term period.
"Alongside Dan McNamara going full-time with his role as manager, we’ve also brought in a new full-time physio in Christos Christofides who has joined us from Port Vale. Nathan Maxfield, our physical performance coach, has also moved into a full-time role this year to ensure we’ve got access to as much as we possibly can. We’re really looking to developing the girls, both on and off the pitch, and working towards a more professional environment.
"Hugh McCluskie (goalkeeping coach) was fantastic for us. He took us from a place where everything was really segmented between academy, women’s and girls’ into a programme that developed a process for goalkeepers from under-12s through to the seniors and linked across the academy goalkeepers as well. It made sure we got maximum benefit from our goalkeeping programme.
"Hugh unfortunately left us over the summer and we’re really disappointed to lose him because he’s been a massive part of the growth over the last few years. However, we’re really pleased to bring in Lukas Bailey who joins us as goalkeeper lead for women’s and girls from under-10s through to seniors, and working on some of the academy programmes. That transition and fluidity between the programmes is enhanced again.
"We’ve also got a new analyst this season, Josh Bratch, who joins on a masters placement and has got experience within the Women’s National League at other clubs. Bringing him in for the start of this season will really enhance and develop our analysis department for the women.
"Paul Taylor is a fantastic physio who was with us in a part-time capacity alongside training and matchdays. We got to the point where we really needed to expand that programme to make sure we’re able to give a little bit more to recovering players off the pitch and away from training – to make sure that when we’re in training, we’re delivering as best as we possibly can and maximising our programme. Paul has left us but, again, he has been excellent over the years after coming in during the Covid period. He really developed what we had in terms of injury assessment, treatment and rehab. I’m hoping Christos will take that another step forward with having more time at the club to assess players with their needs.
"Off the pitch, Merrick Will is overseeing administration and operations for the girls’ section within her academy operations role, and Claire Hakeman will continue her role with the first-team."
On enhancements to the programme
"We’re always looking to develop our programme and, last season, added an additional training session to go with Tuesday and Thursday training.
"This season, we’ve added in a further gym session and pitch training session during a daytime for some of the girls to jump on. This provides them with another contact point and moves them closer to working towards being professional footballers.
"With Dan (McNamara), Nathan (Maxfield) and Christos (Christofides) in full-time, it gives us more access to individually identify the players that require a little bit more support in getting closer to what a full-time model looks like.
"Monday is generally off for us and then Tuesday through to Sunday, there is someone on site – whether that’s rehab, pitch sessions, analysis sessions that are all happening. Compton is buzzing with women and girls’ activities throughout the week, supporting female players to be the best that they can and provide them with opportunities.
"An example of this was taking the under-16s on tour to Northern Ireland last month, which was a great addition for us over the summer. It was another addition to our programme and added to the experiences we’re giving the girls.
"It was great for both staff and players. It was the first time the girls had ever been on tour so, from an operational perspective, it stepped up another level in terms of how we worked with the girls. Taking a group of under-14s/15s/16s out to Ireland, a different country with a heavy match programme and getting the coaches on site 24 hours a day working on match analysis, game preparation, getting the girls physically conditioned was something they hadn’t experienced. The physio that came out with us, Ellie, was brilliant with her stretching and rehab programmes, making sure the players were at the top of their game every day. We had three consecutive matchdays, one day off and then a finals day on the Friday before we flew home, so it was a really intense programme but a really great opportunity for the girls to experience what an international camp would look like for example – in terms of the loading and requirements of them off the pitch."
On the removal of the under-21s from the FAWNL Reserve Midland Division
"The under-21s has been an area we’ve looked at for a number of years regarding what the output is around it. Last year really cemented our thoughts where we send players out on loan, to Sporting Khalsa mainly, and the players have developed really well with the right clubs. We’ve had Leafield in the past as well that have helped us develop players – Katie Johnson being a prime example.
"Skye Owen, Josie Smith, Ania Denham all went out into tier four with Khalsa, into women’s football environments and really flourished. We’ll see this year all of those players coming back into the Wolves Women first-team. That’s both a credit to Wolves and their loan club in how it’s supported their development in tier four that we weren’t getting within the Women’s National League Reserve section, which is a fantastic platform for players to continue and start their journey outside of youth football. However, physically and technically, it isn’t the right challenge for the players to really push on into the first-team, which is something we’re really looking for.
"Last year, we ended up with a programme where we released players out on loan. The players we released out on loan were making the first-team. The ones we kept in with the under-21s haven’t really done that. There are a couple of exceptions where players have gone out on loan this year from that programme and we want to keep them within Wolves, but they still need more time and an adult environment in a really competitive league to go and get the experience and develop their ability. They’re still part of Wolves, but they go out to loan clubs and then come back in to hopefully make the first-team from there.
"That loan club is really important for us because it’s a stepping stone between the under-16s and our first-team. The under-21s should have been that, but the league structure, amount of games we had and the level within there wasn’t quite right to help develop players at a thriving tier three environment that is only getting stronger.
"We’ve had conversations with Worcester City and have already sent a player (Millie Robinson) on loan there this season. In tier four, what we’re looking for is a really good environment where players are going to develop and flourish within the structure at the club. They’ll still have access to Wolves because we need them to be part of the club, and continue on their journey with some additional support we can give them to help them progress in their own personal journeys.
"Every player is different and every club will see different players. That’s absolutely fine and we’ll look at how we continue that. We’ve got a player out at Shrewsbury Town as well and one going out to Sporting Khalsa.
"The pathway is still there, but it has to look different to what it was if we’re going to continue to develop players like Anna Price, Anna Morphet, Katie Johnson. Amelia Hiscox has just come into the first-team from the under-16s last year.
"We still have that middle area where they go out on loan and have access to some of the first-team training and individual sessions, analysis and medical support, but they’re not quite ready to play in the first-team. That’s the bit we need to work on – how we help them get the right experiences to be part of the first-team. That’s what we want and that’s what the players want staying with us.
"It's a little bit of trust on both parts in regard to sending them out to other clubs to develop them as people and players, while still giving them enough from here as well to supplement that."
On the increased support at the SEAH Stadium
"Telford’s a fantastic venue that provides the right atmosphere for the level of football we’re playing at.
"We’re playing on a stadium pitch and we need fans to get behind us and support the women again. They’ve been fantastic, especially in the transition to Telford and moving our games out of Wolverhampton. It was something we took a lot of consideration over, but the fan base has risen massively since moving to Telford.
"We’ve had the Shropshire FA and Shropshire clubs coming on board to support Wolves Women as well. The access to the venue and transport links have helped our fan base and we want to continue to push, get more people to come and see Wolves Women and be part of the journey we’re going on as a club and team."
