The role of a football coach

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The role of a football coach is about much more than just football coaching. From session planning to analysis to giving feedback, it is a multi-faceted role with many responsibilities.
Being a We Make Football franchisee adds even more variety to the job. You become your own independent business owner, an entrepreneur changing the lives of children in the local community by off2ering them the chance to learn and grow as footballers and people.
In this article, we are going to look at the different aspects of being a football coach, what each role entails and the responsibilities that come with it.

The football coach

The most important role a football coach has is, well, being a football coach. The preparation starts before the players arrive for training with session planning to ensure that no minute of contact time is wasted.

No two sessions are ever the same, especially when it comes to plotting one-on-one training schedules for players. 

One-on-one training is the best way to improve and develop the skills of an individual as it allows them to work on areas of weakness identified by the coach. 

At the end of every session, a coach then offers feedback to the player on what went well, what did not go well and further guidance on how to improve.

Often, this is the most rewarding aspect of the job. When a training plan devised to improve a player’s ability with their weaker foot, their first touch or their timing of a run comes to fruition, it means the coach has fulfilled their primary responsibility – making a player better.

Every We Make Footballers coach is FA qualified and undergoes further in-house training with specialist WMF qualifications, offering the highest possible level of teaching for coaches to maximise both their own and their players’ potential.

The football analyst

To improve players on an individual level, the best football coaches are excellent analysts. They have a keen eye for detail and will watch each player closely, identifying areas in which an individual can improve. This then feeds into those individual training plans just mentioned. 

The analysis is not just important on a one-to-one level, either. When it comes to managing a team, spotting strengths and weaknesses in the opposition and being able to nullify or take advantage of them can dramatically improve the chances of victory. This brings us nicely onto..

The football manager

Team selection. Position of players. Tactics. All of those come under the role of the football manager, who is ultimately responsible for results. 

Whilst a We Make Footballers franchise may not have to worry too much about these areas at weekly training sessions, they are still developing players to go into teams at the grassroots or professional academy level.

Those players will have a better chance of success if they understand what a manager wants of them. Training is the first opportunity to impart the responsibilities of different roles on the pitch, what different tactical plans entail and to help players understand that everyone on the team has a part to play – even those not in the starting line-up.

The business owner

We Make Footballers franchisees are not just football coaches. They are entrepreneurs too, operating a sustainable business that provides a service to the local community in a growing market where there is always room for expansion.

After three years, a smaller WMF franchisee with over 240 students can turnover up to £96,000. A larger franchisee with more than 400 students has an expected yearly turnover of £149,000.

And what if the business is not a potential franchisee’s strong point? Well, that does not matter either. We Make Footballers provide a dedicated account manager. 

A franchisee gets all the help and advice they need in setting up and operating a business, learning how to become an entrepreneur who is in control of their own lives in the process.

The community leader

Football coaches are community leaders, providing an important service to the local area. And the role of football as a force for good has never been more important.

Lockdowns have deprived children of the chance to stay physically and socially active. Mental health problems in children increased from 10.8 per cent in 2017 to 16 per cent in 2020 according to England’s Mental Health of Children and Young People survey.

Budgets have been stretched by the pandemic, meaning that physical education in schools is not a priority. The local government is struggling to find the cash to provide services and maintain facilities.

Amongst all of this, We Make Footballers academies provide a safe space for playing football, exercising and meeting like-minded children. The benefits to physical and mental health are huge.

Franchisees become community leaders, offering an essential service and one which can genuinely change the lives of young people in their local area.

The inspiring mentor

How often do you hear about football coaches being inspiring mentors for young players? No one who watched Ian Wright’s Home Truths documentary could fail to be moved by the way the former England international striker spoke about his primary school football teacher, Sydney Pigden.

Mr Pigden was the man who helped Wright get into football. Without his coaching and mentorship, Wright would never have gone on to make it as a professional. He would never have become Arsenal’s record scorer. And he would never have represented his country.

That is the power and the role that a football coach has. They can change lives through sport. They provide the opportunity for children to do something they love once a week and who knows where that can lead? In Wright’s case, it was to pull on the Three Lions at Wembley.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a We Make Footballers franchise, inspiring the next generation of English football talent and making a real difference to your local community, then please see the WMF franchisee website for more details.

 

 

The New FA Football Coaching Qualifications

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The New FA Football Coaching Qualifications

 

The biggest shakeup in FA football coaching qualifications in over a decade is here with FA Level 1 and FA Level 2 replaced by the new Introduction to Football Coaching and UEFA C Licence.

First announced ahead of the 2020-21 season, the changes were decided upon in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on grassroots football. 

The new qualifications have been gradually introduced since FA Education took over responsibility for coaching courses in March 2021. 

Introduction to Football Coaching replaced FA Level 1 in 2021 and FA Level 2 is now no longer running; the UEFA C Licence will be introduced in 2022 in its place.

Here is everything we know so far about the new qualifications, the differences compared to the old ones and what it means for football coaching and development in England.

Why have the FA made changes to their coaching qualifications?

There are several reasons as to why the FA have replaced Level 1 and Level 2 with new qualifications but they all stem from the same desire, as laid out in a letter from Head of Education Lucy Pearson – to simplify and modernise the process of becoming a football coach.

Lifestyle changes brought about by the pandemic have played a major role in the FA’s thinking. Even before lockdown, research was showing that the appetite for self-service learning was growing. 

People want to access courses at a time that suits them, be that at 8 pm, during their lunch break at work or on a Sunday afternoon. 

When the country then had to adapt to remote working, it became clear that technology could allow digital learning to take place in industries that had previously been reluctant to embrace such change.

Time has also become more precious because of lockdowns. People no longer want to spend an hour travelling to a venue, another an hour in a lesson, followed by an hour driving home. Not when self-learning can allow all of that to take place in 30 minutes over the internet from the comfort of their own home.

If the FA can get more coaches into football by making qualifications more accessible through digital means, then it is understandable for them to seek that opportunity by moving online. Especially at a time when the pandemic has made people more susceptible to career changes. 

Anyone considering a move into football coaching as a full-time profession has to start with their FA Qualifications. The easier qualifications are to gain for prospective coaches, the greater the number who sign up and the better position grassroots football finds itself.

One of the other major considerations was – sadly – money. Grassroots football was hit hard by the pandemic with the FA’s workforce slimming down significantly. 

New ways, therefore, had to be found to support coaches and teachers – and one of the most obvious was to place greater emphasis on online learning to make better use of time.

Introduction to Football Coaching replaces FA Level 1

The major difference between the new Introduction to Football Coaching and the old FA Level 1 Coaching Badge is the way the course is taught.

At its most basic level, FA Level 1 used to entail learning coaching drills and putting them into practice in sessions. It was time-consuming and, depending on where the nearest course was run, could involve significant travelling. That was enough to put a lot of prospective coaches off.

Introduction to Coaching instead blends weekly webinars, e-learning, community support and a range of resources to provide individuals with the skills to coach players of all ages. The course takes only four weeks to complete.

By offering such a range of resources, coaches can pick and choose which learning methods work best for them. This creates a qualification more tailored to the individual than was ever possible with FA Level 1.

Likewise, the community support available through Introduction to Football Coaching outstrips anything on offer under the old qualifications. 

Coaches can now interact and connect with numerous like-minded people going through the same process via the online community, rather than a handful on a physical FA Level 1 course.

The most important elements of the Introduction to Football though are the six online learning modules and the three webinars. The webinars involve coach developers sharing their knowledge and experiences on a weekly basis.

The learning modules total six hours work and can be done in a coach’s own time. Completing one module will unlock the next. In the end, there is a short online assessment. 

Pass and that and the Introduction to Coaching is complete. It is a much more straightforward way to take the first step towards a football coaching career.

UEFA C Licence replaces FA Level 2

UEFA launched their new C Diploma in 2021, offering grassroots coaches the opportunity to gain a Europe-wide recognised qualification below the renowned UEFA B, UEFA A and UEFA Pro.

It will replace FA Level 2 in England in 2022 and although the FA are yet to release too many details about the new qualification, we do know it is set to blend the e-learning concept of Introduction to Football with mentoring and on-the-pitch development.

Coaches will be encouraged to build and shape their own philosophy on a course which, according to UEFA when the diploma was announced, takes place over a minimum of 60 hours.

We Make Footballers supporting coaches through their qualifications

We Make Footballers have an along-standing commitment to helping new football coaches gain their FA Level 1 and FA Level 2 coaching badges. 

That has continued since the FA brought in the Introduction to Coaching and will be the case when UEFA C launches in 2022.

In addition, We Make Footballers also provide their own in-house qualifications which are widely respected in the coaching community.

Coaches who combine We Make Footballers with the new FA football coaching qualifications are therefore in the best possible position to develop their coaching career.

If you are interested in finding out how We Make Footballers can help start your coaching qualifications journey and career in football, then head on over to our website where you can apply to join us as a coach.