/The FA Introduction to Coaching Football course

This week the FA launched the replacement for their Level 1 course, titled “Introduction to Coaching Football”. This course shifts the focus from face-to-face learning to a completely online approach, presumably with the intention of increasing accessibility for more grassroots coaches and giving an easier route into the game.

The only pre-requisite to enrol in the course is completion of the “FA Playmaker”, another full-online course that can be taken free of charge on the FA’s Bootroom website.

I took the Playmaker course at the end of last year and found it to be a useful “for all” entry point – meaning it’s geared as much towards parents and volunteers on the peripheral of grassroots youth football as it is towards those looking for a serious career in the game. The introduction to coaching course will no doubt look to build on the groundworks laid by the Playmaker, focusing more in on the coaching aspects of football and less on the general involvement in the game.

I’m fortunate to be working with a club in Cockfield United who have helped me cover the costs of this course, which is currently £160, and am looking forward to getting started in September.

What am I expecting from the course?

From the overview page on the FA website, it seems the course will be made up of a number of online e-learning modules with relevant assessments at the end of them, covering a range of core topics including safeguarding, respect and first aid. These are then supplemented by three weekly webinars, each of which is 1 hour long and will involve an educator discussing a specific topic in detail. You also gain access to the “Community”, where you can join specific interest groups and connect with other coaches – though last time I checked there were no groups for male coaches working with adult players, just those working in youth football or female coaches!

What am I looking to gain from this course?

In the absence of any formal education programs over the course of the COVID pandemic, my journey into coaching has been focused entirely on hands-on experience and my own personal online learning. These have given me a fantastic insight into the inner workings of the game, but a formal FA qualification is what I feel I am missing the most. I’m looking to build on what I have in terms of the practical side of coaching, but also understand more about the mental side of the game too, how to connect and work with players effectively and complete the essential safeguarding and first aid aspects of the course to allow my progress on my journey.

I’ll keep this blog updated as I progress, so if you’re considering taking the course yourself, be sure to stay tuned for updates regarding that. Likewise, if there’s anyone reading who is already enrolled then I’d love to connect, so don’t hesitate to drop a comment below or follow me on Twitter.