Natascia Bernardi

I fell in love with football when my home country hosted the World Cup: I was 14, living in the suburbs of one of the cities hosting Italia90 and that summer my life changed. I tried to play but no women's team around so I became a fan of the game. Then I came to the UK and I started coaching football for a Women's team in a Sixth form College in East London 4 years after getting the badge. I never thought about me as a football coach before that experience and I loved it. I loved seeing the confidence of the girls improving along their football skills. When I left my job there, I decided to be a volunteer coach for a grassroots club near where I live. After 1 year as Wildcats coach, I coached U9s and now U10s. I started with 1 girl attending Wildcats, now I have 18 girls as U10s, some of them have been with me since I started. I like helping them in loving the game, developing as people and players. I always say that when the ball gets back to the centre of the pitch, we start again. I like that part of the game because it gives everyone the opportunity to a fresh start within the 90 minutes (60 for U10s) and brings big hopes. My girls always give 100% and leave the pitch with a smile: after a cold winter training session, a nice win or a rough loss. Thanks to my players, I am improving my knowledge, got my UefaC, learning more about the game, connecting with other coaches and trying to involve parents in coaching or reffing. I am a work in progress as a coach and I truly hope to develop my players at the best of their abilities.