She Coaches: Claire Robinson (Sunderland head coach)

A She Coaches profile of Claire Robinson, the 34-year-old head coach of Sunderland Ladies, who passed her first badges as a teenager, took her B Licence as her playing days waned and has since added the UEFA A Licence. A teacher at Gateshead College, she also serves as Technical Director at the Sunderland and Gateshead Girls Centre of Excellence, an FA Licensed Tutor, an FA Club Mentor and sports scientist to the England Deaf Women’s Futsal squad. Robinson describes joining the FA’s National Mentoring programme, set up by Hope Powell and led by Brent Hills, as a support pathway from the B to the A Licence, and says the consistent group of around twelve women gave her confidence. She recalls Paul Ince on the second part of her A Licence, and says her dream is to coach Sunderland full time.