HAMMERSMITH FC: INVINCIBLE WOMEN ON THEIR WAY TO FA CUP?

around London as if they’d just won the Champions League, to the absolute amusement of anyone who watched them.

At the time of this publication, the Hammersmith FC Womens Team have lost only one competitive game in their two years of existence. If they maintain this trajectory, they could qualify for the English FA Cup in the next three years.

What’s the secret behind this grassroots football phenomenon? A crew of innovative and committed volunteers, a shared attitude of deploying coaching and recruitment resources equally across the teams at the club, and the use of tech to inspire and develop.

The use of technology is both humorous and tactical. The players will tell you about Head Coach Akin’s infamously long post-match WhatsApp notes to each player on the team. And the use of Veo’s Analytics Studio to constantly assess if the squads are maintaining the fast-paced, direct, and goalscoring philosophy that has led the club to be successful. It’s fascinating to see what is next for the women of Hammersmith FC and their founders/coaches.

Southampton-born soccer coach Mitch Kavanagh traveled to the United States as an 18-year-old kid to play soccer. Today, he is Director of Coaching at Nebraska’s Gretna Elite Academy, running the Girls ECNL program, and Assistant Coach at Creighton University Men’s Soccer.

For Mitch and Gretna Elite Academy, who’s been using Veo for the last five years, it’s important to have a clear philosophy throughout the club:

“It sounds simple, but for us, it's to score a lot of goals. And play with a purpose. There’s got to be a purpose in whatever you do. I think people can sometimes overcomplicate the game.”

Every team in Gretna Elite Academy have access to Veo. In a club with only a handful of full-time coaches, having Veo is crucial in the day-to-day work at the club.

“Being able to record every game's massive,” Mitch explains. “A lot of our coaches aren't in a full-time environment, and they have other jobs. So being able to have something that you know will record the game is massive. You don't have to worry about parents or volunteers. Veo does it all for you, and it's quality.”

When the club is recording every game, it’s also easier for the families – and even the coach – to watch the kids’ highlights without looking through the whole match.

“With the camera, it’s so easy to simplify the game. It's easy to find ways that you can look at things and really break it down without having to sit there and watch 90 minutes,” Mitch describes before he continues:

“I tell all our kids when I'm breaking down video, I'll watch it, speed up until I see something I find interesting. Then I clip it and send it out, and the players can look at it. It's easy enough for coaches that aren't in a full-time role.”