How Norway is Setting New Standards for Women’s Football Development

                              Lena Tyriberget

Norway has been a pioneer in women's football. How has the grassroots development system evolved over the years to support the growth of young female players?

We have been a pioneer because we started relatively early with football and had better frameworks compared to many nations in the 80s and 90s and into the 2000s. We are a country where a relatively high number of girls play football compared to the population base. Our challenge is that we are a long and sparsely populated country, which makes it difficult to have teams in all areas. However, this has also fostered a strong culture where girls can play and train with boys.

In recent years, several nations have made significant progress, and we can no longer claim to be leading. Nevertheless, I believe we have good projects under the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) and our 18 districts. NFF, together with its 18 districts and clubs, aims to increase the number of girls and women in football. We are focused on recruiting, educating, and inspiring more female players, coaches, referees, leaders, and officials.

More and more clubs are getting better organization and structure, which will benefit young girls who want to play football. At the grassroots level, we have projects such as:

• The “Quality Club Project” which has been important for improving organization and structure in clubs, making them better equipped to operate well at the grassroots level for both girls and boys.
• Game Formats - 3-a-side, 5-a-side, 7-a-side, and 9-a-side football for younger players - we see good effects from these.
• “UEFA Playmakers” aimed at increasing the number of girls playing football – a positive initiative specifically targeted at recruiting female players.
• “Telenor Extra” - a collaboration with clubs offering an after-school football program where both girls and boys can receive extra training.

Several projects are also underway to increase the number of female coaches, which is crucial for the growth of football. At the same time, we see that we still have work to do to improve the competency of coaches working in girls' football. This involves elevating the status of women's football and increasing resources both financially and with individuals with the right expertise.

We also see that the boys’ side in Norway has benefited significantly from top clubs having development programs for the best players through their academies with well-trained coaches. We are in the early stages of developing our top clubs on the women’s side through a “Top Club Standard Project” which aims to build stronger development structures in clubs and bring in more people and expertise. This should help structure and provide better development pathways for players with higher quality in training and match experiences.

In our 18 districts, which are also part of a player’s development pathway – for the best players aged 12-16 – a national curriculum has been developed that players in all districts are educated in. This is called the “Equinor National Team School”. For the very best girls, a top group has been formed in each district with a physical trainer/physiotherapist who supports the best players along with the district responsible. This ensures that the very best players in each district receive close follow-up during their growth and maturation phase.

Can you share insights into the collaboration between the youth national team coaches and club coaches to ensure alignment in player development pathways?

In this context, we also need to include our 18 districts and the Development Coaches responsible for following up the best players in their districts, for players aged 12-16. They act as the link between the NFF and the clubs and are our extended arm to the clubs. The districts and their Development Coaches are responsible for ensuring that the players' performance levels are communicated with the clubs after various initiatives.

From the age of 16, our national team coaches have more direct dialogue with the clubs. Top league and some 1st division clubs have employed top player development officers and development managers through funding from the NFF/TFK. This position was created to ensure that the young top players receive even better and closer follow-up in their daily environment. Much of the dialogue between national team coaches and clubs happens with the person in the club responsible for player follow-up.

This dialogue happens through:

• Club visits - observing training/matches and discussions with the player and coach/top player development officer
• Sharing video clips with comments
• Sharing physical reports - after testing
• Phone calls/written reports/player evaluations after testing
• National team coaches are often present at training camps organized by top clubs in preparation for the season.

In discussions with clubs and players, it is very important that the player experiences that both the national team and the club have a relatively similar view of the player and what we see as the most important development areas.

Additionally, we have meeting points with clubs and districts at talent gatherings and reference tours linked to national team gatherings or championships for youth national teams for reference collection.

Do you look inside the successful youth development programs in other countries? Which ones do you find interesting at the moment and why?

We do not target a specific nation. We regularly conduct GAP analyses of other countries to see where we stand compared to nations that we should be able to compare ourselves with geographically and demographically, as well as against nations ranked at the same level or higher.

Through GAP analyses, we find that more and more nations are investing more resources into the national team programs for girls – with more gathering days and increased support staff resources around the teams. We see that players are better trained and have higher skill levels in more and more nations. This usually comes from better development programs around players from academies/clubs and federations.

There are very different models around this in different nations, but this is also due to different geographical and demographic factors. We have work to do to keep up in the future. The train is moving very fast in women’s football these days, and we draw inspiration from the growth and investment we see in several nations. To excel, we need to be strong in development programs and collaboration between clubs, districts, and the national team.

What qualities do you look for in young players when selecting the youth national team roster, and how do you assess their potential for future success?

We have our playing model in the NFF which is based on playing principles, and from that, role descriptions and what we look for, and also aim to develop in players in specific roles are developed.

Generally, we look for players who have:

• Team player and leader qualities
• Ownership of their own development – which is the foundation for learning and growth, intrinsic motivation
• X-factor – something that stands out and can influence games
• 1:1 skills offensively and defensively
• Courage
• Smartness in the box
• Speed in the mind – reads play and opponents quickly, tactical understanding, and ability to be available for play
• Speed – agility, frequency, and body control
• Ball speed – right tempo in the ball based on the game situation
• Forward-thinking mindset in play

At the national team level, we want them to experience international football, which can be different from playing in the domestic league. Most players coming into a U-19 national team generally have good potential to become future top players – some in domestic leagues, others may move to foreign leagues, and a few may play for Norway’s senior women’s national team. The goal of the national team journey from U15 to U23 is to develop players who can perform internationally and become important players for the senior women’s team, and also to have players who can do well in international top football at the club level or in the Norwegian league. They will build mental and physical resilience through the national team journey.

What efforts are being made to enhance coaching education and certification specifically tailored for women's football coaches in Norway?

Through the NFF and the districts, we have had several projects aimed at female coaches. Specific female coach courses have been set up at the grassroots level and for UEFA B licenses.

There are specific projects to follow up female coaches through gatherings and in clubs, both at the district and national level – on the way from UEFA B to preparing them for UEFA A license and from UEFA A license to UEFA Pro license. We are experiencing increased interest in these initiatives, and participants in the courses and projects say that they are stimulating, motivating, and contribute to increased knowledge and competence.

It is important to continue with these types of projects and strategies to get more female coaches, and also motivate female coaches to take courses alongside their male colleagues.

Looking ahead, what are the aspirations and goals for youth women's football in Norway, and how do you envision the future growth of the sport at the global level?

We are in a phase where a strategic group has been established to examine women's football in Norway at all levels – from grassroots to top and national teams, to provide us with strategic recommendations for the future. It will be exciting to see the outcomes of this strategic work.

Currently, we have ambitions to be a top 3 nation at the senior level and to have a league that rises to the top 6 in Europe. For our youth national teams, the goal over a 4-year period is to be in championships 3 times during the planning period and to have one of the national teams qualify for the World Cup within this period. But just as important to us is developing some players from each age group to become future senior national team players – at a level that makes our senior team competitive in the future.

We see high aspirations and are currently not quite where we want to be in terms of resources compared to some of our competitors. However, we are committed to doing what we can with the resources we have as a small nation. Norway also has players who perform at a high international level on both the women's and men’s sides, which is stimulating and motivating both for young football players and for those of us working with football daily.

We see enormous growth in women’s football globally. This growth is expected to continue in the coming years, with an increase in the number of female football players, more and better leagues, and women’s football being played in larger and better arenas. The level of players will continue to rise with increased professionalism, and there will be more positions related to women’s football and more expertise about women’s football and female football players.