If you want to truly excel as a football coach and continue to progress in your coaching journey, then you need to get coaching qualifications. The FA run certified courses which will train you to a suitable standard to coach at various levels of football.

At the most basic level, you’ve got your FA Level 1 badge which allows you to work with players aged seven and up. That’s followed by the FA Level 2 which is a longer qualification to complete, then the UEFA B licence (Level 3).

Level 4 and Level 5 follow are also UEFA A and UEFA Pro with the last of those being the qualification required to work with the elite professional players or in the Premier League.

Regardless of your goals, it is important to know the steps to getting there and coaching qualifications can be a huge asset. We’ve put together a blog detailing the benefits of securing your qualifications.

You’ll be taught how to coach effectively and successfully

Coaching football requires a very particular set of skills in order to bring the best out of the players under your guidance. You might think because you have good playing experience that you’re qualified to turn a player into the next Harry Kane, but there is a lot more to it than that.

To be an effective coach, you need to learn the best methods for teaching children the basics of football. You need to learn how to inspire them, how to communicate with them and above all how to understand them. Child management will be a key area for development which will help you put on an enjoyable session for all participants.

By gaining your coaching qualifications, you’ll be taught all this and much more. They will equip you with the tools you need to succeed by becoming an effective coach and provide you with resources to further your learning.

Staying at the forefront of the game

Because the game of football is constantly evolving, so too do coaching courses. Just look at the changes we’ve seen tactically in the Premier League over the last few seasons. Not so long ago, 4-2-3-1 was all the rage because it was how Germany won a World Cup. Antonio Conte at Chelsea ripped that up with his 3-5-2 which most teams tried to copy as it delivered the title in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

This year, it’s been all about 4-3-3 with Manchester City and Liverpool being streets ahead of the opposition using that formation. It isn’t just formations that go change rapidly but playing styles, player standards and coaching methods too.

What might have worked three or four years ago could be completely redundant by now. Up-to-date coaching qualifications will teach you the skills and methods that are important right now rather than you relying on what could be out-of-date techniques. By doing your coaching badges, you’ll be at the forefront of the game.

Opening up Coaching Pathways and Opportunities

Coaching badges are fully certified qualifications which show that you’ve been trained to the highest standards to pass on your knowledge to children and older players. That’s important when it comes to your chances of picking up a coaching role with a local team or football academy.

There is an increasing demand for qualified coaches across the football landscape in England, not to mention the requirement to maintain certificates such as your First Aid and Safeguarding.

It can open a door to a whole new career

If your ultimate dream is to work at a professional club, then there is no shortcutting. You can’t just skip to the UEFA B or A licence. Every coach has to start at the very bottom with their FA Level 1, be they Marco Silva of Everton Football Club or Mark Silver of Hackney Common Rovers under 12s.

The point we’re making is that coaching qualifications are a must if you want to turn the dream of coaching for a living into a reality. They open doors that will otherwise remain closed and show that you have the dedication and drive to succeed as a coach.

Kick start your coaching career, by contacting your local We Make Footballers today!