Course length: One Academic Year (September - June)
Degree overview
The Certificate of Higher Education in Football Coaching is designed for those who wish to further their knowledge and understanding of working in football coaching settings. The course provides the opportunity to engage in a range of underpinning areas including an introduction to football coaching and talent development, coaching and skill acquisition, as well as injury prevention in football.
Integrating theory with practice alongside, students will draw upon previous skills and knowledge to critically evaluate the core competencies needed, which can be directly applied to current or aspiring roles to become a more effective coach.
This course provides comprehensive knowledge and practical skills and provides a great foundation for further study options. Successful completion of the course will give you 120 undergraduate level credits (equivalent to the year one of a three-year undergraduate degree) which can be used to progress onto further study.
Upon successful completion of the one year Certificate in Higher Education in Football Coaching, students may wish to progress on to year two of a full three year Bachelor’s degree. GIS would be happy to discuss this option for those that are interested.
Intake date: September 2024
This course is delivered in a distance format, where learning will occur through online content allowing students to work through materials independently via the online learning platform. Which can be accessed anytime making this a flexible study option that fits around existing commitments.
Students will receive materials via the online learning platform, offering additional resources and guidance for both directed and self-directed study, and where students will work through structured weekly content which introduces key information and theories. Concepts, ideas and understanding are then tested via quizzes, case studies, online forums, and live discussion sessions.
Modules
This module will enable you to develop awareness and understanding of the key fundamentals and principles of football coaching, integrating theory with practice and sharing knowledge and understanding through discussion and debate. The practical element of coaching will allow you to gain experience in and an understanding of the cognitive process of coaching. You will learn what a coach needs, to function effectively in a variety of situations, developing reflective skills and identifying which theories are most applicable when working in a specific coaching context. You will learn how to reflect on and evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan to improve both your technical and behavioural skills relevant to a career in the coaching industry.
The intense demands to identify, select, and develop some of the brightest young talents in the game places more pressure on a range of staff and clubs than ever before. Given such demands, you (as a scout or coach for example) will find yourself navigating through a range of changing, challenging and complex environments. Therefore, developing an ability to nurture talented individuals is seemingly an essential part of a football clubs (and coaches) daily task. This module, therefore aims to provide an introduction to the complexities and magnitude of talent development. The module will introduce you to a wide range of topics and themes that can support your understanding of talent development. Here, we include considerations around academic models of talent development, environments, cultures, as well as performance pathways for a range of athletes across a number of different sports.
This module will explore the preventative measures which can be facilitated in order to prevent typical injuries which are experienced within the footballing industry. You will identify the key injuries that players may experience and the preventative measures which can be embedded in order to prevent the injuries occurring.
The module considers the concept of ‘community' and how it is interpreted and applied across a variety of football development initiatives. You will employ a critical and politically informed lens to create culturally aware, inclusive and reflective football development strategists and coaches. It will enable you to acquire the knowledge, understanding and practical experience of a range of topics that relate to both coach education/development, and the wider enhancement of football. Throughout lectures, seminars and practical’s, you will be encouraged to engage with a range of concepts by understanding the current grassroots/ community landscape, potential barriers and ways students can champion positive recreational activity through coaching practice. In addition, you will explore the issues of equality in football exploring the ‘target group’ philosophy and barriers to participation.
The purpose of this module is to provide you with the necessary attributes and knowledge to enable you to develop the technical performance of young players. Firstly, you will examine the predominant technical components that are essential for football. Furthermore, you will examine the principles of play (both attacking and defending), how you can develop individuals understanding of the game and how to manage mistakes within practice situations. Taking a player-centred approach which allows the player to be actively involved in their own learning and development through decision-making and problem-solving rather than being coach-led, you will design practices which will develop players game craft and game understanding and learn what constrains lead coaching principles. Developing your knowledge on the three stages of skill acquisition which age groups ability levels they can be associated with and how you can plan to enhance your players’ ability through this.
In order for you to achieve your university and future workplace goals, you need to be aware of a number of personal qualities and behaviours that can impact your ability to succeed. It is also important that you understand the industry and societal context in which you plan to work. This module aims to introduce you to personal and professional factors relevant to employment in the sport industry, and to enhance your awareness of the industrial landscape. Additionally, it will support you in developing some essential academic skills for higher education (such as academic writing and referencing). The module will introduce you to a wide range of perspectives, philosophies, and principles of critical and ethical thinking which will equip you with the competencies and confidence to achieve your academic and employability goals.
The Global Institute of Sport is an embedded college of the University of East London. All GIS graduates will receive a degree from the University of East London.
Requirements overview
- Applicants must have achieved 112 UCAS points under the UCAS point scheme. Professional experience and industry qualification can be assessed for applications without the necessary UCAS points.
- Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of their Maths and English language GCSE (grade C/4 or above).
- Applicants from non-majority English speaking countries will be asked for proof of their English level and are required to have achieved a minimum of IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each sub component) or equivalent.
- Successful completion of the course and achievement of 120 credits can be used to progress onto further study. Credits can be transferred via the APL (accreditation of prior learning) process to advance onto the full BA (Hons) Football Coaching degree.
Upon completing his Master’s degree in 2019, Wesley McGrath is now a coach, scout and analyst for his own company, WM32Football, as well as an Advanced Centre Coach at MK Dons.
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