Football Coach Qualification

FOOTBALL COACH QUALIFICATION-- If you're an enthusiastic football fan and would enjoy helping others become better at the game, this could be the perfect job for the person who loves football. Football coaches develop the knowledge, techniques and motivation of football teams and players.To become a football coach you will need to take Football Association (FA) coaching qualifications and have the energy and enthusiasm needed to inspire others. You'll also need some good communication skills to get your ideas across each and every games.

The work as a football coach you should:

1. plan coaching activities, sessions and programmes
2. provide feedback and give advice on players' performance, fitness and technical skills
3. develop and discuss strategies and tactics for both individual and team play
4. give guidance on nutrition, and injury recognition and prevention
5. research good practice and innovative examples of coaching from around the world
6. advise players on how to keep up a positive mental attitude and self-discipline

At a higher level, you may also:

1. analyse matches and player performance data
2. design innovative training methods and programmes
3. deal with the media

First you could coach at amateur level, working in the community with children, youth or adult teams (often as a volunteer), or at semi-professional and professional level, with players in football academies and league clubs.As a community football coach you would work with clubs, schools and local authorities, using football as a means of personal and social development. You would work closely with local community organisations to develop opportunities for young people to get involved in sporting activities.once you got success then you will get the opportunities in big clubs.

working hours and income:Many of the coaches are part-time, and you would often combine your coaching with other full-time work, for example coaching for two evenings during the week and attending games or tournaments at the weekend.Attending training sessions and matches can mean working long and often unsocial hours in all weathers. Coaching jobs are often part-time for a few hours a week, or offered as short-term contracts. Salaries for jobs like this are usually hourly paid. As a guide, assumption between £7 and £10 an hour.Full time-community football coaches can earn between £13,500 and £24,000 a year. EFL/Premiership coaches may earn between £25,000 and around £250,000, depending on the role of the coach and the level of the club.Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements:You can qualify as a coach by completing Football Association (FA) coaching qualifications (often called badges), which start at Level 1 and go all the way through to the UEFA A Licence for the semi-professional and professional game.You would begin by taking one of the following qualifications, depending on your experience:

1. Level 1 Award in Coaching Football
2. Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football

The Level 1 Award introduces the basics of coaching theory and practice and would be suitable for someone without experience or who assists a coach in a team.
The Level 2 Certificate is aimed at those who already have some experience in coaching and/or playing and teaches how to plan, conduct and evaluate training sessions, using different coaching styles.These are widely available at colleges and training centers, are open to anybody over 16 who has a keen interest in sport and can be used to work with football players of all ages. 1st4sport Qualifications accredits the Level 1 and 2 coaching awards and you can find more detailed information about them on their website. 1st4sport Qualifications - Football Qualification. Volunteering at a local amateur football club is a good way to get started and gain some experience in coaching. Check the FA Find a Club page for contact details of your nearest clubs.FA - Find a Club site. The FA also offers a range of coaching qualifications if you wish to work with people with disabilities or want to concentrate on coaching children and at youth levels.To work with children, either as a volunteer or paid coach, you will need to pass background checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). See the DBS website for more information about checks.Disclosure and Barring Service. You can find full details of routes into coaching, volunteering, and local and national courses on the FA website.FA - Become a Coach  You could also gain coaching qualifications and experience as part of a university course in sports coaching, sports science, sports studies or physical education.Once you have completed qualifications up to Level 2 and have experience of coaching, you could progress to the higher level FA qualifications.

Training and development:After you achieving the Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football you can apply for the UEFA B Licence. The course covers a variety of theoretical and practical skills, including:

1. principles of attacking, counter-attacking, movement and possession, and defending
2. set plays (corners, free kicks and throw-ins)
3. training drills
4. the ‘4-corner’ approach to player development - technical, physical, psychological and social
5. fitness and nutrition

The course involves 16 days of study and practical workshops, spread over a number of weeks. It can be done at regional centres or through the St George’s Park National Football Centre at Burton-upon-Trent. To apply, you must be aged 20 or over, hold the Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football and be regularly coaching an 11-a-side team.The last stage for some coaches is the UEFA A Licence, which is geared towards those working at semi-professional and professional level, although it can be used to work at all levels.It has two parts done on a residential basis. The first part is 13 days long and the second takes eight days. You would also take a one-day pre-application course to make sure you have the necessary qualifications and experience.It builds on topics covered by the UEFA B course and includes team motivation, tactics, strategy, match analysis and player performance. On successful completion, you would be expected to apply for re-assessment within five years.There is a UEFA Pro Licence beyond the A Licence, mainly aimed at managers in professional football, which concentrates on areas like management skills, leadership and handling the media.

You can also add to your coaching qualifications with training in particular areas, such as:

1. goalkeeping
2. specific skills for defenders, midfielders and attackers
3. psychology – player confidence, mental strength and behaviour
4. futsal (South American indoor 5-a-side game, growing in worldwide popularity)

See the FA website for more details about their courses and coaching qualifications.FA - National Course Planner To be successful, you should always be open to new ideas and continually improve your skills and knowledge of the game. You can join the FA Licensed Coaches’ Club for continuing professional development opportunities.FA Licensed Coaches’ Club. Sports coach UK also offers an extensive programme of personal development courses for coaches at every level.

Skills, interests and qualities:

To be a football coach you will need to have these:

1. energy, enthusiasm and the ability to motivate others
2. knowledge of, and keen interest in, football
3. good communication skills
4. patience and determination to succeed
5. flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing environments, ability groups and weather conditions
6. the ability to give tactful, positive advice and constructive criticism
7. good organisational and planning skills
8. a confident and professional manner

You can develop your career by moving to more prestigious and higher profile clubs. Progression will depend on your results and reputation. You may also be able to take further training to develop your skills into more specialist areas, such as international coaching, performance coaching and goalkeeping coaching.As a coach working with young people, you may be able to gain relevant qualifications and move into sports development or youth work. Many of the skills and qualities you develop as a good coach would be transferable to other areas of the sports industry.