In order to improve we must be prepared develop. In order to improve the standard of player we are producing, we must improve the standard of coach.
The biggest issue we have in Ireland is we have very few qualified coaches working with kids and many of the ones that are qualified are not current and what I mean by current is they attained their badges many many years ago and never attend workshops to continually develop. A child 10 years ago is very different to a child today. How we coached 3 years ago is completely different to how we should coach today. We must be prepared to learn from others, good or bad, but we must continue to develop our coaching skills & philosophy. There is no better gift than getting educated. Making sure our coaches do the required courses to improve can have long lasting benefits on the kids that play.
Lusk United are introducing a scheme that will set a side funds for coach education. An easy but effective idea that will improve coach education at the club.
“In order to improve the standard of player we are producing, we must improve the standard of coaching” – tcd
Press Release Starts here>
Lusk United AFC
With a new coach education initiative in place, Lusk United aims to improve the standard of coaching at the club and subsequently improve the players and give them a better footballing experience.
Lusk United AFC has been at the heart of the community since it was founded in 1969. In November 2013 a brand new facility was opened that boasts a clubhouse with a bar and a full size floodlit pitch. The club now has approx. 300 players across 19 teams; 3 senior teams including an over 35’s, a girl’s only academy, and a kid’s academy, catering for 4-7 year olds. The club is actively involved in coaching within the local primary schools, as well as holding various FAI soccer camps for children, FAI workshops, and general community workshops for parents. The club recently implemented a new coach education initiative, which would see all memberships increase by €10. The use of the funding gained from the increase in fees will be set aside specifically and solely for coach education.
“Having a qualification doesn’t make you a great coach but it shows that the coach is determined to continue their education and has met certain standards of assessment at the very least”- Royal Spanish Football Federation
The club has 19 teams with 300 players in total.
- Net annual gain: 300 x 10 = €3,000.
- €3,000 will go towards the funding of FAI coaching courses on an annual basis.
An example of what could be achieved with this money:
- 6 x 4v4 Small Sided Games Workshops at €25 each (€150),
- 6 x 7v7 Small Sided Games Workshops at €25 each (€150),
- 5 x Strength & Conditioning Workshopsat €25 each (€125),
- 8 x Kickstart 1 Coaches at €45 per course (€360),
- 6 x Kickstart 2 Coaches at €75 per course (€450),
- 2 x Youth Certificate Coaches at €300 per course (€600),
- 1 x UEFA B Coach at €1,250 per course (€1,250).
It’s worth noting that in Feb 2013 after a survey of all managers and coaches (34) at the club only 35% had a Kick Start Level 1 or higher with only one coach with a Youth Certificate level of coaching.
In the space of one year after a concerted effort to get coaches to attend coaching courses and with the club paying 50% of the cost of coach education courses the club now has 44 coaches & managers with 77% having attained their Kick Start 1 or higher. While there’s still more work to be done, the new coaching initiative (will fully fund coaching courses) will go a long way to achieving a standard where all coaches will have a minimum of a KickStart 1 before getting involved with a team at the club and see more coaches attain Youth Certificate and UEFA B level courses.
While there are a million and one things to be done at sports clubs we should all remember that the focus should be on the players and ensuring their time spent playing football can be looked back on with great fondness. Our goal as coaches should be to help them develop into well rounded young men and women and fulfill their potential whatever that may be, and the better the standard of our coaches, the greater the chance of that happening.
Thanks to Ciaran Russell and Niall McGuirk for this sending in this piece. The FAI Coaching Festival 2014 starts Wednesday 2nd to Monday 21st July at the AUL see more here> FAI COACHING FESTIVAL
Follow Lusk on twitter @LuskUtd
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