Football coaching is a great way to help inspire young people, and without coaches and volunteers, there would be no organised football at all.
If you’ve ever thought you’d like to become a football coach, whether that’s to run your son or daughter’s team, support a manager or push on to become a senior coach, there are many opportunities to get involved, and it couldn’t be simpler to dip your toe in the water.
As the governing body of football in England, the FA runs all the coach education from its base at St. George’s Park, and through the local county FAs, and they have launched more online offerings to help those interested to become a football coach to learn more.
Where To Start
The coaching pathway in England begins with a free course available on the FA’s website, called Playmaker, which is an introduction to coaching, and progresses through five further levels up to the UEFA Pro Licence, the qualification held by elite coaches in International and Premier League football.
There are also specialist qualifications specifically for those coaches who want to learn more about coaching young players, coaching disabled players, coaching goalkeepers, or coaching Futsal, the official five a side game.
As part of each course, football coaches must also complete the First Aid course, the Safeguarding Children course, and obtain a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) criminal records check certificate.
So, you want to give it a go and become a football coach? Here’s where to starts…
Playmaker Course
An free, entry-level football course perfect for anyone interested in taking a more active role in grassroots football, comprising five modules. No previous football experience or qualifications are required, simply sign up and get involved. Click here for more…
Introduction to Coaching Football
Also known as ‘Level One’, this is also an online course nowadays, costing around £150 depending on your local county FA. You need to complete the Playmaker Course before signing up, and will then go through six modules that you’ll need to pass to achieve your coaching certificate.
The modules include; Course Introduction, Introduction to Disability Football (30m), Respect (10m), Safeguarding Children (2h), Introduction to First Aid in Football (2h) , Assessment. There are also three one-hour webinars: Falling in Love with the Game, Learning About Football, Friendships in Football. Click here for more…
Once you are on the ladder, you can progress along the FA’s pathway and earn what are known colloquially as ‘badges’, while there are many other opportunities to continue your learning, through FA CPD Courses, or those run by organisations such as MiMentor Learning or e-CAN Coaches Advisory Network, or even the Coerver Youth Diplomas.
But really, the reason why we do this is to coach and help players enjoy the game, and that’s where most of the learning comes for the coaches, too…
Click here to see the full FA Coaching Pathway and courses available.