Reserves manager Emma Coates
Making a welcome return to the club this season will be the Leeds United Ladies Reserve Team. This traditional schooling ground has previously benefitted current first team regulars such as Jules Draycott, Hayley Sharp and last season’s top scorer Carey Huegett.
Leading the return as Reserve Team Manager will be long-time Leeds servant Emma Coates, 21, who played and captained Leeds at all levels before calling a day on her playing career at the end of last season, kicking off her coaching career by picking up the Leeds United Foundation’s Young Coach of the Year award.
With preparations almost complete ahead of this Sunday’s opening fixture, Coates has 16 new recruits fit and available for selection. “All of the squad are eagerly anticipating the start of the season,” she said. “The girls are all fresh from the Leeds United Girls’ Centre of Excellence and can’t wait to test themselves at a more senior level.”
Despite operating as a separate entity, with its own squad, league and ground, the reserves will play a crucial role in feeding talent into the first team squad. “Having progressed through the system myself, I’m well aware of how beneficial reserve team experience can be,” commented Coates. “As best as we can we’ll mirror the first team set-up. Our hope is that by playing regularly with the same philosophy and a similar formation, the players will have a familiarity and level of comfort with what will be required when they make that step up.”
For Coates, who is set to complete her Uefa B level coaching badge in February 2013, the change in pre-season preparations has been peculiar. “Going through my first pre-season as manager has certainly been different. I’ve now got 16 people’s preparations to concern myself with as opposed to just me. It was a difficult decision to stop playing and take on this role but if my experience so far is anything to go by, I think it’s not only going to be a great learning experience but also a lot of fun as well. We’ve got some great young talent and we’re all excited to get out there on Sunday and show what we can do.”
The reserves kick off their season with a trip to Derby County on Sunday 2 September before making their home debut at at Knottingley against Stoke City on Sunday 9 September.
