Hartpury Sports Coaching Centre has launched a Coach Development Portfolio, aiming to provide valuable football coach development provision to Gloucestershire and the surrounding regions. The portfolio is a collaboration between Hartpury University and the Gloucestershire Football Association (FA), and endorsement by the Football Association (FA) means attendees can acquire FA accreditation hours as part of their Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
The initiative aims to provide football coaches with cutting-edge training methodologies and strategies to enhance player development, utilising Hartpury University and Hartpury College’s world-class facilities and expertise. The sessions are led by expert instructors Dr Martin Longworth, Lead Convenor of Hartpury Sports Coaching Centre, UEFA ‘A’ Licence Coach and FAW Coach Educator, as well as Beth Smith, Lecturer in Sports Coaching and Physical Education, FA Coach Mentor and Coach Developer.
The first of three workshops took place on 16 October, with more than 30 coach attendees exploring specialised training formats and strategies to enhance training methodologies. Despite the rain, the coaches were given lots of useful information on how to better structure and manage their sessions with live practical demonstrations.
One of the October attendees was David Doe, an owner of his own coaching business. He said: “I found the whole evening valuable for helping me prepare as a coach and structure my sessions, allowing me to save time and focus more on managing differences within my participants, ultimately affording more play time.
“We explored the step principles and practice spectrum that have helped in my one-to-one sessions, making me more efficient with time and resulting in players having more repetition minutes on a specific practice like technique, skill development or physical training. I am also able to focus on coming up with more challenges rather than trying to move equipment to set up for a different challenge.
“I used the same structure from the CPD practical with a grassroots team with mixed abilities as a promotion session and it went so well. The feedback from the coaches and parents was great. I can't wait for the next workshop; I believe coaches always become better from watching and learning from other great coaches.”
In a post-event survey, other attendees praised the ‘balance of classroom and practical elements’, as well as the ‘interactive discussions and live practical sessions.’ Many also enjoyed ‘listening and learning from professionals.’
The next two events are scheduled as follows:
- Coach Behaviour and Environment: How we see football
- Date and time: 4 December 2024, 19:00-20:30
- Location: Microsoft Teams
- Focus: Examine the role of the coach and its impact on the environment, and develop strategies to enhance player development through coach behaviours.
- FA Accreditation Hours: 1.5 hours
- Resource and Environmental Development: How we influence football
- Date and time: 12 February 2025, 18:30-20:30
- Location: Hartpury Sports Academy
- Focus: Maximise ‘ball rolling time’ to enhance player development and develop strategies to optimise coaching teams.
- FA Accreditation Hours: 1.5 hours
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Speaking about the first event and the overall programme, Dr Longworth said: “Hartpury Sports Coaching Centre is proud to offer this Coach Development Portfolio for the 2024/25 season, and we were delighted with the hugely positive response from those who attended our first session. Each session is delivered by industry experts in the field of coach development and coach education, providing valuable FA accreditation hours that contribute to their CPD totals.
“I’d urge anyone who participates in football coaching to check out the two sessions we have remaining, one of which will be online and the other in-person. We really enjoy welcoming and working with coaches from all areas of football as each brings their own unique perspective and challenges, but all with a shared goal of providing the highest quality coaching for the sport we love.”
To learn more about the Coach Development Portfolio, email Dr Martin Longworth (martin.longworth@hartpury.ac.uk).
The Hartpury Sports Coaching Centre has been a Community of Practice for several years and is home to several research and knowledge exchange projects. Research is an integral part of life at Hartpury University with students and staff working together across a plethora of disciplines.
Earlier this year, Hartpury also became an education provider to the Premier League, creating a Student-Athlete Scholarship Programme that allows Premier League Academy graduates to progress their education and explore career paths within the sports industry.
