A sports development officer from the Foundation of Light has returned to Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, with new skills after leading a football coaching mission in China. Katie Gibson travelled to Shandong Province to co‑lead a four‑day programme that trained 40 grassroots coaches as part of the Premier League’s Community Coach Development Programme, and she will bring those techniques back to benefit young players in the North East.
The trip was delivered by the Premier League — in partnership with the British Council — to share coaching methods and support the development of safe, inclusive community football in China. Gibson led practical workshops focused on delivering player‑centred sessions and coach education, introducing methods that emphasise communication, autonomy and fun on the pitch.
The Foundation of Light reported on 6 February 2026 that the new approaches will be integrated into its local delivery, including girls’ football sessions and the charity’s Emerging Talent Centres. Gibson said the experience broadened her understanding of player psychology and cross‑cultural communication in coaching.
Gibson began her journey with the Foundation in 2018 as a football scholar on the Foundation’s scholarship programme, which is delivered in partnership with Sunderland College. Her visit to China follows the Premier League’s opening of an international office in Beijing in October 2024, an initiative intended to support the League’s work in China — including the delivery of grassroots coach development courses.
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