Introduction
Every profession that you chose requires a certain amount of hard work and mental exercise. But coaching a football team is one of the most difficult professions. It requires immense patience and a tough personality to deal with a bunch of furious players. On the other hand, it is also one of the most highly paid jobs. It also requires undivided attention since the coach is often expected to make last minute decisions about the allocation of players on the football field. The coach must be impartial towards all his team members and refrain from personal attachment. Similarly, it is important for the person on the judge’s seat to never vent out his frustrations on the players.
History
There are a lot of youngsters who apply for the job, but in order to work as a coach, it is a pre-requisite that the applicant has experience, education and fundamental drills required for the game. For this reason many football coaching courses have been introduced in the past by various football associations. This course helps the candidates to polish their skills and abilities along with learning something novel and helpful. Anyone who is above 16 is eligible for the football coaching course. This course is based upon three levels and then in every level there are further classifications.
Features
Every level has a theoretical and a practical element. In the theoretical section, the first level, the candidate is asked about emergency first aid and safety rules regarding football. Then for the practical section he is shown through demonstrations: heading, turning, shooting, goal keeping and defense. Afterwards, he is assessed on the basis of a twenty minute session in which he has to demonstrate safe practice, enjoyment and organization. This level is concluded with an oral interview. This is the beginning of the next level. Usually when a coach is slightly experienced, he directly starts coaching with level two. This level also consists of a theoretical and practical sessions. In the former, the candidate is asked about communication skills, football food and fitness, health, injuries, laws and ethics of the game. While in the latter, fundamental techniques are taught; like running with the ball, dribbling, shooting, goalkeeping, attacking and defending. Afterwards a review is given on the actions and progress of the candidates. It is also mandatory on the part of the candidates to keep a log book of all their actions and plans. At the end of this level candidates can be assessed on the basis of questions regarding laws of the game and the record keeping of their log books. After this, level three begins. Some candidates leave after level two but those who aspire to coach at the highest level go for level three. In this level the theoretical session includes the match and player analysis, team organization, fitness, drug awareness, injury identification and psychological factors. The practical session is all about counter attacking play, playing in the attacking third and regaining possession. Once the candidate has completed his training, he might be asked to take a written examination or an oral interview.
Tips and comments
After going through the rigorous training, the candidate is trained enough, however he bear in mind that there is always room for improvement. He should keep a track of latest tricks and techniques and try to master them as quickly as possible. This is necessary because it is up to the judges how they control the whole situation and motivate their players. This motivation can actually change the fate of the game.
