Football Coaching and Performance

This Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) Higher Technical Qualification accredited course is delivered at University Centre Myerscough and awarded by the University of Lancashire. The course has been designed to provide students with the practical skills, academic knowledge and coaching expertise that will ultimately enable them to gain employment across the football industry and is mapped so that graduates will be able to claim HTQHS2025: Sports Coach (High Performance Coach) status. The course represents an ideal choice for anyone who wants to develop their knowledge of the football industry from both an academic and practical perspective. Providing unique opportunities for students, we aim to develop football performance through our outstanding talent development program, whilst also developing students’ academic abilities.

The course is closely linked with professional football clubs giving students opportunities to observe and work within the industry, via placements and voluntary work. Students will gain vital work experience on and off the field, equipping students for future employment within the football industry in the many roles which now exist in the modern game form professional clubs to private coaching companies. The course is based on the contemporary needs of the football industry and encourages students to develop innovative modern ideas, underpinned by traditional values and practices.

Myerscough College graduates have gone on to work in the football industry in a variety of roles, with the following professional clubs such as Preston North End. Other opportunities include RTR Talent a local 1-2-1 coaching company and Total Soccer Centre who operate on site. Many of our graduates have also progressed to work abroad both short and long term, with many of these types of opportunities shared with our students and graduates. Past opportunities have included work in the following countries: USA, Australia, Portugal, and Columbia. Alongside a trip to Reims to visit former student and current Stade de Reims manager Will Still who operate in Ligue 1. This exceptional trip allows for a tour of the training, observing training, question and answer session with Will and attend a home Reims fixture.

We advocate a holistic approach, developing a mixture of essential skills for your future employment in the professional game. The course includes a range of football coaching modules delivered by elite professional football coaches, developing your knowledge of techniques, tactics, strategies, skill acquisition, whilst improving your own performance. Your knowledge of sports science will be advanced, giving you a foundation of knowledge for strength and conditioning, talent identification, and rehabilitation modules. Our outstanding equipment and facilities will provide you an opportunity to work with analysis equipment, software, cameras, timing gates, all under the guidance of outstanding professional football coaches.

With professional UEFA licensed coaches, and experienced coaches of all levels delivering this course we can provide a unique and ideal choice for young football players, coaches and anyone hoping to work in the wider football industry. The course delivery is supplemented with outstanding guest lecturers enriching modules, ensuring it is well connected to the industry. These have previously included international level coaches, ex professional players, international level futsal coaches, academy managers and staff from the professional game. The experience of tutors will assist in the completion of FA coaching awards, which are essential for employment in the football industry. Tutors provide a blend of academic knowledge, but also a vast amount of experience in the football industry as players and coaches. This blend of academic and practical delivery, make this course unrivalled by other coaching courses available to students.

Year 1

Coaching Principles and Practice

This module provides students with the essential theories of the coaching process. It identifies the main philosophies, styles and practices of football coaching. This module promotes an understanding of session planning, delivery and evaluation. Content includes the acquisition of skills, delivery techniques, child protection, equity and coaching and the law.

Sports Performance (Double Module)

This module introduces students to the evaluation and development of football performance. Through effective performance analysis, students will be able to provide a comprehensive player profile and evaluation facilitating player development. This player profile will include technical, tactical, physical and psychological elements. Reinforcing the main concepts established in Football Coaching Principles and Practice, students will learn how to focus coaching on the needs of the individual player, developing their technical and tactical skills. Further to the development of technical and tactical skills, this focus on individual development will help students to develop the physical capacities of players. Students will gain an understanding of scientific principles, concepts, and theories of conditioning, as well as their practical delivery. The module applies specific conditioning practices to the enhancement of performance, through a variety of practical experiences.

Introduction to Sport Science

This module focuses on the three main areas of sport science utilized in football coaching; physiology, psychology and biomechanics. Students must apply these concepts to football specific situations in order to demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the coaching process. An essential understanding of Sports Science will facilitate learning in other modules, providing a grounding understanding.

Coaching and Pedagogy

This module prepares students for future employment where an understanding of educational theories and concepts is essential. The coaching process requires a strong understanding of the learning process and pedagological tools to optimise learning. The module prepare students to improve leadership behaviours, developing graduate skills in teaching which can facilitate becoming a teacher and more effective coach in the future.

Academic and Vocational Skills

This module provides students with first-hand experience where students will use their industry environment to develop practical and technical skills. Students will be given an opportunity to work with Preston North End academy working with elite players and coaches in an outstanding, successful professional academy. Students will record and reflect on their own personal development during the module.

Year 2

Coaching for Sport Performance

Progressing knowledge gained in Coaching Principles and Practice during year 1. This module gives students the opportunity to develop coaching methods to develop the skills, techniques and strategies in football players. The module will challenge coaches to develop skills required in Level 3 NGB awards, reflecting on the coaching process, and educational theories develop din year 1. A development of your own style and philosophy will challenge learners to coach at a more advanced level, utilising a range of coaching skills to enhance player performance.

Research Development

The aim of this module is to develop the ability of students to undertake investigative research and underpin dissertation and double project work at Level 6. The module will focus upon information-related academic and market research skills, research methodology, data collection techniques, data analysis and writing skills.

Sports Performance Analysis

This module provides a framework in which football coaches can apply the coaching process and develop techniques to evaluate football performance. This will include a review of pertinent scientific elements of training/performance with students engaging in appropriate coaching practicals to elaborate upon the theoretical themes.

Talent Identification and Sport Development

The aim of this module is to provide the student with an understanding of talent identification and performance pathways developed by organisations to cultivate players to their full potential. Graduates skills will be developed which are integral in football coaching and player identification/scouting.

Industry Project

This module applies the practical, technical and personal skills developed in the Academic and Vocational Skills. It will utilise a structured work environment chosen by the student to identify a suitable project. Working with their supervisor, students will develop and manage the project, reporting on the outcomes of the project. Students will be encouraged to use the industry project to develop professional working relationships and identify their chosen career options.

Lifestyle, Recovery and Rehabilitation

Progressing the underpinning knowledge developed in sports science during year 1, this module will apply these theories in the development of athlete’s lifestyle, and recovery from training, games and injury. The importance of keeping healthy and eating well is increasingly recognised in modern football, creating exciting career opportunities. Students will gain an understanding of exercise, nutrition, health, recovery strategies’, and sports injuries.

https://www.ucmyerscough.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/football-studies/fdsc-football-coaching-and-performance/

Students will complete a variety of assessments including delivery of practical coaching sessions, performance planning and analysis, essays, multimedia presentations, reports, multiple choice tests, presentations, group work and mini projects.