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RE: standard curriculum

swift1 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:13:56 GMT

In a TV guide the other week there was a story of a woman whose son played for a team so to spend more time with him she did a level one course and now runs the team, she had no prior knowledge or interest in the sport before then.

Now for all i know that team could be flying and progressing well but realistically how can those players develop properly??

If everyone stuck rigidly to the courses drills etc we would have a very limited and uninteresting game. There is always talk about the lack of young British players, i personally dont think its as bad as its made out but on the other hand in my experience its as much down to the interest of kids, not that they dont like football as much as kids did but they have hundreds of options now and less kids seem to have "kick - abouts"... I have had two or three players in the last six years who are good players and love their football but havent got the commitment or interest to be part of a team with rules etc to follow(punctuality,correct kit etc)

RE: standard curriculum

Nick — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:56:45 GMT

I dont agree with the courses being mandatory. Of course knowledge is very important but its up to the individual coach to find his own techniques and unique coaching styles.

Every country will teach there own way, which will not always work for alot of people.

Apart from the Italian managers you mentioned I dont beleive there is any credibility left in the italian leagues to judge how succesfull an italian manager is in his own country so i dont see how these courses can be deemed successfull.

Give me Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger anyday, they build a team rather than spending millions on individuals like the spanish and italian.

Maybe its worth looking at the french set-up instead.

RE: standard curriculum

SCW Editor — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:52:18 GMT

I do agree that you need experience to be a good coach, but in Italy the Coverciana coaching school opened in 1958 and coaching badges have been mandatory ever since. Italians view coaching as a profession and like all skilled trades requires study and an apprenticeship. Coverciana graduates have taken charge of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, think of Giovanni Trapattoni who won league titles in Germany and Portugal, Capello at Real Madrid, Ranieri at Chelsea and Valencia winning cups and numerous others. In fact the Italian Serie A has mostly Italian coaches. Who apart from Bobby Robson has made a name for themselves in Europe?

I guess the reason why we have so many foreign managers in England is that the best managers have come through a coaching system like the Coverciana school. So coaching qualifications do have their place.

However personally I have found experience the better teacher. Unfortunately the hierarchy at Real Madrid have yet to discover me.

RE: standard curriculum

Dwyer — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:54:57 GMT

I think you're right, there is no definitive long-term study program that gives you the info you need to do a complete job. There are courses in say, sports science, psychology, fitness etc. and the FA and UEFA badges will deal with tactics and techniques. But ask any pro-caoach and they'll tell you that almost all of these courses are inadequate and, as Swift points out, out of touch with the reality of the game. A top level premiership coach told me a couple of weeks ago that the FA insist that we don't allow players to use the outside of their foot. Why not???

I think Swift is saying that no amount of studying or qualifications can replace hands-on experience and I agree completely. Having said that, experience by itself is not enough to make it at the top level anymore. I suspect that if you don't have a thorough background in the science and eduacation you're going to struggle to get a job. So it's a combination of experience PLUS education.

But over and above all that I think the core skill, which the FA are never going to be able to teach you, is how to be an effective communicator. You may know the game inside out but the trick is to communcate those ideas to your players in a way that is meaningful to them and which will inspire them to be as good as they can be.

RE: standard curriculum

swift1 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:48:59 GMT

Hi,

I do sympathise but i am going to be brutally honest also, i dont mean to offend or be controversial but that in my eyes your point is the main fundamental downside to modern football coaching......

Football is a game of knowledge picked up over years of watching, listening, learning and analysing, it seems that now if you get a level one course you are able to coach football, anyone who has done a level one will know just how limited it is.

Brian Clough, Bill Paisley,Alf Ramsey etc etc did not do courses to learn their trade it was just an in depth knowledge of the game they love, now it seems if you have a course behind you which lets be honest are pretty unfailable that is seen as acceptable to teach our next generation of players,i agree people should get qualifications but the individuals who have a personal knowledge will always be better teachers of the game regardless of any course they go on!!

The subject of people coaching differently has already been raised on this forum and how the fact we do it differently makes the game so interesting, people i know who had no prior knowledge just an interest and have done the courses are very straight down the line, i made a point on a previous post that on my level one the tutor told me that David Beckhams free kick technique was dangerous due to the weight being on his non kicking foot and that they would coach him differently - PATHETIC, but how many people on that course would think it was right just because the tutor said so......

I believe you can be taught to play but you CAN NOT be taught to coach by going on a couple of courses for a few weeks at a time, for the basics they are good and do their job, but for players to learn and develop properly it take a bit more than just a certificate to say someone has shown you how to show other people!!!

I am not for one minute saying this against anyone personally, but i do strongly believe that for this country to develop its players properly those that stand out need to be given more encouragement than this PC "everyone has the right to do it", what if everyone isnt good enough and that prevents a decent development. Or what if they cant afford to do these courses, does it mean they would make a worst coach???

No doubt people will disagree but if my point is read properly then hopefully you will understand where i am coming from???

standard curriculum

emmaslam63 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:45:50 GMT

i am a 21 yr old and have the dream that some day i will make it big in coaching. However i find it a little disturbing that there is no standard course, say a degree or something like that which will provide most of what i will need to start off, i am only able to find clinics and short courses which cover only specific areas of the game and it takes an awful lot of time to accumulate all these.

i do not know whether my perception of the education is improper or utterly wrong so i need to find out your opinion on this matter.. i would also like to know whether it is just me who has not looked dep enough to find what really suits my needs, if you know of any please keep me informed.

for the love of the game!!!