Q&A with Coach Matthew, the 17th Franchise Owner

 

We Make Footballers are proud to welcome new franchisee Matthew Ansah, who will be looking after the Croydon area! With a strong background in both Grassroots and Academy coaching, Matthew will be launching WMF by helping players of all abilities to become the best they can be and creating his own football coaching empire in the Croydon area.

After completing both in-house business training and on the pitch WMF coach training, we caught up with Matthew to discuss his ambitions and plans for WMF Croydon:

Q: When did you start coaching?

Matthew: I started coaching seven years ago for a grassroots club called Purley Panthers. I worked with an under 8’s team, which was such a fun group to work with. By starting with this age group of players, I was able to understand the importance of “fun” in football and in my coaching style early on. We would train on a Saturday morning and play matches on a Sunday morning, this is where my passion for coaching started.

Q: What has been your coaching journey so far?

Matthew: I’ve worked in football both paid and voluntarily for seven years, which has meant that I have learnt from different clubs, coaches, age groups and playing styles. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in both Grassroots and Academy football coaching.

I started with Purley Panthers U8’s and continued with them in the U9’s and U10’s age groups. I’ve also coached at Aldershot (U12’s), Forestdale FC (U11’s, U12’s, U13’s) and Chipstead (U18’s). All these different opportunities have built my coaching CV and experience working with different age groups.

Following this, one of my other first coaching roles was at We Make Footballers, I was able to learn their coaching and playing style and be exposed to the WMF way in the early stages of the company.

After some time at WMF, I then moved into teaching alongside other roles at Fulham Foundation, Crystal Palace and AFC Wimbledon Pre Academy. I stayed in contact with Sean Conlon (CEO of WMF) and he was the first person I contacted when I decided to launch my own football coaching company.

Q: Why do you want to go full time in football?

Matthew: Going full time in football has always been my ambition, as I’ve always tried to keep up my coaching schedule and commitments to prepare myself and become the best coach I can be.

One of the differences between coaching and owning a franchise, is that I want to further my understanding as a business owner alongside my development as a coach.

Another key motivation for me is to run a company that supports the local area and to coach as much as I can to support the development of footballers in my community and be a positive role model.

Q: What do you hope to achieve in the next few years?

Matthew: I hope to have amazing experiences in football, this includes fulfilling my potential as a business person and coach, carrying out work that positively impacts in the local community and developing coaches and players.

I’m particularly looking forward to  further my knowledge via coaching courses, qualifications, events in the football industry and watching other top coaches in practice.

Q: Why did you choose We Make Footballers?

Matthew: Having worked for the We Make Footballers in the past I am aware of the amount of detail, planning, delivery, and review of coaching sessions. I needed to pick a coaching company that reflected my own coaching style, beliefs and that focuses on individual player development.

The branding is amazing and consistent, which shows the professionalism and infrastructure behind my business. The websites, social media and online presence really builds trust with parents and presents a fantastic brand. I also enjoy being a part of a franchise owner network from experienced coaching backgrounds and look forward to participating in future coach development events.

The connections WMF have in the football industry have enabled me to run my launching Talent ID event with the support of Head Office, which will have over 100 players attend! I’m excited for the event, creating opportunities for local players in football and finally launching my weekly training in Croydon.

Matthew Ansah is a fantastic football coach and business person who will be going full time in football this June 2019. His goal is to reach 110 players attending his weekly training by June 2020! If you are interested in building a career in an industry that you are passionate about, contact us today to find out more.