FA Level 2 +3 Courses

[Cookie]

I have a good course guide for both the L2 and L3 certificates, that covers the techniques covered as well as the S-S-G's (L2) and POP's (L3). May need some time and effort getting them to look good using a coaches graphics package I use, but I'll see what I can do.......

[Cookie]

Originally Posted by Hamburger Hill

Hi there,

What you're planning sounds like a useful resource for any prospective Level 2 or Level 3 coach.

On my course we had the opportunity to purchase a 'book' by Jim Kelman which contained a lot of really useful info - has anyone else seen this?

I've seen them, and you also get course tutors offering you photo-copied printouts "for only a fiver..." that boosts their income and basically don't help you with too much! We could probably put something more useful together on here than what you get from these instructors 'unofficially'.

This is a real issue for me, that you don't get good quality course material to support what you are doing on the courses. Then again, if it were easy to pass you wouldn't get all the re-take fees and so the local FA's would be short of a few bob!

Cynical old me, huh?

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Macky

Hi Chris,

it sounds like such a good idea to have all the levels information on the site. It would amazing as for me I have played a high level of football but still get lost with what the coaches are asking for. My fiane exam is to cover when to pass to feet or space in a POP, we never covered it in a POP but we did in a SSG, I have also been asked to deliver the responsibilities of a wide player once shown in side in a function, this we never did in a function but in a POP on the course days.

the problem is if your going to ask the students to do something they have never been show are they not been set up to fail ?

That is why it is very important that your website is hear, I would love it if mike would beable to but those topics on the site before my exam in January.

thank you

Think about what you saw in the ssg with regards to the principles of when to pass to feet and when to pass to space, then apply them into a phase. SSGames, phases of play (POP's) and functions are just ways of coaching topics within a structured game environment. Don't get too hung up on what they are, but focus on coaching the topic and the principles within that topic in the particular coaching set up i.e SSGames, phases of play (POP's) and functions

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Cookie

I've seen them, and you also get course tutors offering you photo-copied printouts "for only a fiver..." that boosts their income and basically don't help you with too much! We could probably put something more useful together on here than what you get from these instructors 'unofficially'.

This is a real issue for me, that you don't get good quality course material to support what you are doing on the courses. Then again, if it were easy to pass you wouldn't get all the re-take fees and so the local FA's would be short of a few bob!

Cynical old me, huh?

Fair point cookie. As a tutor on the courses, I find it very frustrating that we aren't in a position to have resources that enable us to tutor better and that can really help the applicants. That is why we are putting together this new resource. To give everyone an update, we have just seen the first demos of the new coaches chalkboard. Once we have this online, we intend to put together a package of graphical, online based progressive content that will not only mirror the courses practical curriculum, but will also provide a number of different relevant start points, ideas on how to progress the sessions and practices and drills that will enable the coaches to have other ideas than just what they have seen on the courses. We are also thinking of putting a version of the theory content in the resource, so that the user can read it and answer multi choice questions on what has been read. This will have two effects, 1. It is a good way of confirming the knowledge gained on the course, 2. If the user is clever they can copy and paste!!! Though I wouldn't personally recommend this!

We are also going to produce an offline version so that tutors on the courses can go over the practical content in the classroom. It will be interesting if the FA endorse and welcome this development.

Any body got any thoughts or suggestions

[Mike]

Originally Posted by kenteagle

Hi Chris,

I totally echo mackys post. It would be agreat idea i take my level 2 in two weeks & i am already panicking.

The level 2 course is pretty intensive & when it's over a lot of things can get forgotten so it would be good to set up a seperate forum for coaches to give help & bounce ideas of each other.

Hi Kenteagle

I am tutoring on that course on the Thursday, introduce yourself. The tutors who are taking it are very good lads, you will enjoy it and learn a lot. There is actually quite a bit on the site that is relevant to the level 2 course.

Why don't you start a new thread in the new thread section regarding bouncing ideas around for the level 2 course.

[Hamburger Hill]

Originally Posted by Cookie

I've seen them, and you also get course tutors offering you photo-copied printouts "for only a fiver..." that boosts their income and basically don't help you with too much! We could probably put something more useful together on here than what you get from these instructors 'unofficially'.

This is a real issue for me, that you don't get good quality course material to support what you are doing on the courses. Then again, if it were easy to pass you wouldn't get all the re-take fees and so the local FA's would be short of a few bob!

Cynical old me, huh?

No mate...it occured to me also...the course pack with all the theory based stuff looks a like a reasonably expensive piece of print and yet they skimp on the quality when it comes to practical coaching (there is nothing!)...

I guessed the tutors would make a few bob out of the 'book' but to be honest it was that or nothing until Mike launches his masterpiece anyway!

[74offsuit]

the problem is if your going to ask the students to do something they have never been show are they not been set up to fail ?





An Important point to remember here is that the tutors are not expecting the players in a SSG to get everything right all the time.

The exercise is to see how you coach, when are the correct opportunities to use the coaching formula, and to specifically convey the information relevant to the exercise.

If the players begin the SSG doing everything correctly, there will be either nothing to coach, or you will incorrectly coach success.

[mikeb]

I would be very interested in using part of this website dedicated to those taking Level 2 or 3 FA Coaching. Just finding out the key factors for each topic for the 6 a side SSGs seems harder than it should be. Do any of you know the Key Factors for receiving and turning in a small sided game?

Mike

[Coachkev]

Originally Posted by Chris Lutte

One of the forum members Chad raised a very interesting question below is an extract from his post:



We are planning to set up dedicated areas of the website specially designed for coaches taking their Level 2 + 3 badges. We plan to mirror the curriculum of the courses and use our 3D technologies to explain all of the different practical areas. We also have some ideas to make the drills for the course interactive to really help you with your learning process rather than just setting and watching them. Along with a new and enhanced version of the Coaches Chalkboard software to allow you to design our own drills that can be used as evidence as part of the course.

If we get enough positive responses from coaches that this would be beneficial, we can push these task to the front of the queue and get theses areas of the site added quicker.

If there are any coaches out there who would like us to add separate areas of the website geared specifically in helping you pass your FA Level 2 + 3 badges, register your interest by replying to this post and why you feel it would be of benefit, if you also have any suggestions on specific areas that you feel could be of benefit due to lack on textual information provided by the courses themselves, please do give us your ideas.

To add to this:
WHY dont the FA Tutors show candidates the EXACT ideal of a coach??
They rush through the sessions without leaving any creditable time for candidates to make proper notes OR videos of ideal sessions to reflect on away from the course. If candidates have an ideal to work from then surely all that would need assessing would be their communicational and interpersonal skills.

[Val]

Originally Posted by Coachkev

To add to this:
WHY dont the FA Tutors show candidates the EXACT ideal of a coach?? They rush through the sessions without leaving any creditable time for candidates to make proper notes OR videos of ideal sessions to reflect on away from the course. If candidates have an ideal to work from then surely all that would need assessing would be their communicational and interpersonal skills.

I agree, Kevin. I took the D course in the states 12 years ago and it was the first time I heard the no laps, no lectures, no lines mantra. And we were lectured too. The other mantra for my instructor was that our job as coaches was to "put players right". I never actually saw my instructor put anyone right. I used to be a good player, so there's a lot he could have done to correct me, but mostly, I never got a chance to see how he would handle the issue of correcting someone while the scrimmage/game/drill was going on. The hardest thing to know is when to stop the event for everyone's benefit, and when do you just address that one player. Amazingly frustrating...