[Mars Bar]

The FAI Coach Education department today released the new coach education pathway from 2021.



Here is the overview



Here is a more indepth discussion about it

[Mars Bar]

From a personal standpoint, I'm interested in the coach educator bracket.

I was in the first cohort to do the UEFA B the "new" way in 2016/2017. I feel I would benefit from doing the Football Fitness and Performance Analysis modules again as it should be more focused. I think it's a good idea having them as standalone modules.



This one worries me the most. 9 contact CPD credits will be difficult for those of us living and working abroad.

[Mars Bar]

No need to worry. They will cater as needed for those abroad. Amazing work from the team at the Coach Ed!

[pablo57]

I like elements of the new structure, particularly the football fitness and performance analysis. The idea of an actual portal which holds all your information and CPD details seems well overdue. I'm surprised so little has been done since lockdown - the Scottish FA have gotten hundreds of coaches through a few of the early stages of the coaching ladder on Zoom since March, and very professionally. They've also done physical preparation, performance analysis and talent ID courses, and A, B and Pro blocks. Feels like the FAI are playing catch-up in terms of moving to virtual delivery - something really underlined by Covid.

My biggest concern with the new structure is the added costs/time/commitments now being put in place for coaches progressing from grassroots. If you completed a national C Licence recently you would have been then looking to the B. Now, you have to convert to/do a UEFA C, plus two CPD courses before you can do the B Licence.

[Mars Bar]

I imagine there would be very minimal cost, if any, to convert your C.

Also, as someone has been through the B license the standalone fitness and performance analysis will be well worth it to go in with great competence (to use their language) before the B. And the software you'd get in that price is top notch.

On your point about them playing catch up, Niall and Craig actually think the opposite.

This webinar with Gary Curneen is actually better than the official FAI one! It's worth the hour.

[pablo57]

Originally Posted by Mars Bar

On your point about them playing catch up, Niall and Craig actually think the opposite.

Well, they can say that, but it doesn't make it true! The registration portal for course applications even is very old fashioned, and only now have they launched a couple of safe-guarding courses via Zoom. The virtual/digital improvement is well overdue looking at the likes of what the FA, SFA and WFA are offering.

I take your points on the fitness and analysis being valuable as standalone. Just hope they haven't been taken out of the B as a money-making exercise. The 'cost effective' line is a bit ominous when the Elite Youth B is another €1250 popped in if you want to progress after the B.

The question, really, is will this develop more skilled coaches at the end of the day? With an economic downturn on the way, there really needs to be a push to keep developing good coaches from a broad base. The youth international teams are doing great, and the national leagues seem to have played a strong part of professionalising the elite youth level. The big questions are just below/outside of that, to make sure that players are being developed at schoolboy clubs to a really high standard.

[pablo57]

Surprised there isn't a performance analysis conference, by the way - that seems out of touch with the themes for the other conferences. The webinar they did on that recently was very insightful.

[Mars Bar]

They said something lke 93% of the money they take in for courses goes back in to the courses itself. There are a lot of faults with the F.A.I but I really do believe that coach education is far from being one of them.

They talk a lot about the support after getting the license but I haven't seen evidence of that personally. I'd argue with them about that. However, their willingness to accommodate for those of us working abroad has been excellent. I guess you can't win it all.

[Chuck Noland]

Originally Posted by Mars Bar

They said something lke 93% of the money they take in for courses goes back in to the courses itself. There are a lot of faults with the F.A.I but I really do believe that coach education is far from being one of them.

They talk a lot about the support after getting the license but I haven't seen evidence of that personally. I'd argue with them about that. However, their willingness to accommodate for those of us working abroad has been excellent. I guess you can't win it all.

Coach Education is most definitely no where near the top of the list of faults in the FAI.

I hold a national c and am hoping to apply for a UEFA B this year. I’ve found all the FAI ran courses to be very good I’ve attended

@Mars are you still working in football?

[Mars Bar]

Hi Chuck

Yes I am. I'm in Abu Dhabi where it has been a rough old ride for team sports coaches. I haven't seen my U7s and any U12 I've coached in almost a year now. Severe salary cut but just hanging in there on the tiny bit we have!