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Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain is expanding its services to sport in the kingdom throughout the coming coaching season and will include sessions for football-loving women.
An adult female football programme will be starting for anyone who would like to join and have fun whilst learning how to play the beautiful game or improve existing skills.
Coach Deena Rahman, 27, a former star of women's football in England, said: "I'm very excited to be providing a ladies programme this term and hope to see lots of women getting involved. This programme offers the chance for ladies of any ability to get involved and play football in a fun environment.
"The importance of this programme is not only to provide opportunities for women to get together and exercise within our soccer school, but also a pathway for our younger aspiring girls to filter into in the future.
"Having experienced firsthand the barriers females can experience to play football, I believe this programme can now give the chance to anyone wanting to play football in Bahrain the means to do so."
Regardless of ability, the programme is designed to help women, aged 18 and above, learn basic soccer skills, whilst playing fun games and exercising in a football environment with an element of socialising with other participants.
"Whether you just want to let your hair down and do some exercise, or really practice your football skills, each session will help you to reach your goals," Deena added.
"We hope to see lots of mums, sisters and friends getting involved in this great new programme, so ladies, get fit while having fun!"
The soccer school is looking forward to welcoming back members and new recruits this month after the summer holidays with other new courses and initiatives including fitness classes and increasing the age limit of membership. It will also be welcoming the arrival of experienced new coaching staff to the team.
The additional investment of floodlighting surrounding the training pitches close to the National Stadium near Isa Town will mean that extra coaching sessions can be held in the cooler evenings to meet demand.
Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain executives are also keen to dispel rumours that the organisation was just a passing fancy. Paul Shipwright, its Middle East director, said: "We are here to stay! Some people seemed to think we were a one-off affair but this is a long-term project and with the implementation of floodlighting, new courses and the opening of a clubhouse in the near future we hope to prove this.
"The changes are to make us fresh and one step ahead of everyone-else. Arsenal Soccer School is always looking for ways to improve and better the experience for everyone who joins our footballing family - from players to parents."
The school is particularly excited by the introduction of its new 12-week football fitness programme. It is designed to improve a player's physical condition and aid the overall fitness demands of playing in a full match, which could also prevent injuries.
The programme will focus on key aspects of the game such as endurance, speed, strength and flexibility as well as providing nutritional information and exercise tips.
Individual testing will also be carried out at the start, midway through and at the end of the programme to monitor the progress of each player and identify the areas in need of attention.
Shipwright added: "We have designed fun and innovative football fitness training drills, with many involving the use of balls to keep a player motivated and switched on in every situation to maximise the training skills being performed."
The fitness sessions will be carried out in addition to the normal football sessions at a price of BD10 per session. In order to participate in the course players must be registered in a coaching session which start again on September 20.
For further details and to sign up contact the Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain on 17561615 or email info@arsenalschoolbahrain.com
