The 2021 Macarthur Football Association season was unfortunately cut short due to Covid 19 but coach education showed no signs of slowing down with course engagement hitting a new record.
Over the 2021 season, Macarthur Football Association hosted various coaching education opportunities which included MiniRoos Certificates, Game Training Certificates, Skill Training Certificates and Club Coach Coordinator workshops.
With more than 170 individuals successfully completing their training through one or more of these educational opportunities, the MFA community are confident that community coaches are being supported with the relevant tools to help develop the next generation of footballers across the association.
The increase in performance from MFA sides in the State Cup competition is testament to the fact that coach development is supporting an increase in football standards within the region.
Coach education therefore plays a valuable role in MFA and will only benefit both the players and coaches in the long run.
MiniRoos Certificate
The MiniRoos Certificate was the most sought-after coaching course throughout the 2021 season with more than 105 participants completing the certificate, which is designed for new and inexperienced coaches looking for ideas and support when it comes to coaching.
The course helps coaches develop sessions with a structure based around FUN for our U5 to U8 participants.
The MFA invites all parents and interested parties to keep a look-out for MiniRoos Certificates in 2022 that will be held at local clubs and are the ideal starting point for individuals looking to begin their journey in coaching football.
Skill Training Certificate
The Skill Training Certificate saw the biggest improvement in numbers compared to previous seasons with just under 50 participants completing the course during the shortened season.
The introduction of the M-SAP league helped this increase in participation as coaches involved in the program were required to have a minimum qualification and were supported by MFA through a subsidised registration cost.
As part of Football Australia’s Skill Acquisition Phase coaches learnt about the 4 core skills and learnt to structure their training sessions around these core skills through a skill introduction, skill training and skill game.
Similar to the MiniRoos Certificate, the Skill Training Certificate helps coaches deliver fun and engaging training sessions for young children with a player development purpose. This certificate creates the perfect base for coaches who are looking to develop themselves as a coach as well as the players they are coaching.
Game Training Certificate
The Game Training Certificate is part of Football Australia’s Game Training Phase which assists coaches who are coaching within the U13-U17 age bracket.
This certificate aims at developing tactical awareness and decision making in situations relating to 11-a-side football, resulting in players being prepared for the step up to senior football.
This season, the Macarthur Football Association had 16 participants complete the course which added to the already valuable experience and knowledge of team coaches within these age brackets in the MFA community.
Individuals coaching within this age bracket should consider completing this certificate to develop themselves as coaches and create an in-depth understanding of player development for youth players.
Club Coach Coordinator Program
The Club Coach Coordinator Program (CCC) is the association’s newest addition to coaching education with more growth and development opportunities to become available in the coming years.
The program aims to build a network support for all grassroots coaches through every club in the district. To do this, clubs appoint a CCC with the aim to provide in-club knowledge and resources on coaching procedures and player management, specifically to support new and inexperienced coaches.
Over the 2021 season, the association saw CCCs actively engage in the preseason, midseason and postseason workshops hosted at Lynwood Park or via digital engagement. If your club is interested in appointing a CCC or you would like to become a part of the Coaching Coordinator team in Macarthur Associations please contact Kevin Guardado Amaya at Kevin@macarthurfootball.com.au.
Coach Education Team
The 2021 season saw courses presented by a team of coaches across various programs in the MFA including Macarthur Rams Mens and Womens, with the likes of Rod Henderson, Troy Spink, Pete Nowakowski, Sam McGowan and Justin Mickan delivering and assisting with coach education courses and club visits throughout the year.
We caught up with Rod Henderson to get his thoughts on this season’s coach education programs and get an insight into what participants are provided with during and after completing the courses.
“The 2021 coaching courses have been really enjoyable, providing new coaches with the opportunity to learn about structuring their training sessions. It is important to understand that coaching is not always about what to coach but also about how to coach it”.
“In the courses, we provide support and resources to participants about planning, organising and how to use the ‘C.H.A.N.G.E.I.T’ principles if the session is not working.”
“We provide them with support and resources to hopefully see them return as a coach the following year and talk to new prospective coaches about their experience and how the coaching course has benefited them.”
The 2022 season is looking to be the biggest season of coach education yet with a growing team of coach educators ready to deliver even more courses in various locations around the MFA. The MFA are also preparing to continue investing in and supporting the local Club Coach Coordinators to deliver in-house MiniRoos Certificates for their own club coaches in pre-season 2022.
Looking Ahead To The 2022 Season
The Sport Session Planner (SSP) is a digital coaching platform that MFA is investing in with the aim of further developing coaches within the region.
The MFA has invested in 85 coach subscriptions with key influencers being identified with the representative environment of MFA SAP & AYL, Macarthur Rams and Women and Camden Tigers, as well as Club Coach Coordinators in the local clubs. The vision is that this initiative will lead to the gap between grassroots and representative football practices to be smaller than ever with representative coaches provided with the ability to be content creators and support grassroots coaches digitally through session planning.
If you would like to get in touch and find out more information about coach education within the MFA please contact Kevin Guardado Amaya – MFA Community Football Manager at kevin@macarthurfootball.com.au
