LESSONS FROM LEVEL TWO
This was the second step in my European coaching journey and made me truly international with it being in Wales. Similar to my article on the Level One this will be part review/part what I have learnt since the start of the year while doing this course. It will also cover the assessment I have done after and how the course overall has changed what I consider best practice.
The setup of this course which started for me in January was 14 online modules which took 1-2 hours to complete most of them. This was followed by three online zoom calls all culminating in the four practical days and post this, assessment and feedback. It cost £1,195 plus travel and accomodation once I got up to Colliers Park which is the Welsh National FA base of operations and also where Wrexham train so I got to see them a few times which was cool. All up I would estimate it cost me about £1,700 which is triple the cost it would have been to do it in England. This shows the premium people will pay to get on to the course quicker which is the Welsh advantage as getting on a course in London particularly is very tough.
At the start of my Level One I spoke about how the Asian/Australian Licences are worth one less. For example me having done my Level Two in Australia meant I had Level One equivalent over here so could have skipped to this course. I held off doing my B Licence in Australia as I thought the quality would be much higher over here. As much as both have improved me I have not found this to be the case. I’m not sure if I just got very lucky in Australia with my course instructors which included a second division head coach but they also seemed to cover more especially when it came to tactics. I would say the Level Two is good but only to coach up to maybe Under 12s before they go on the big pitch. In Australia the C Licence covers you up to Under 18s which I think should be the same over here. Most higher Category academy clubs require you to have a B Licence over here to coach any age group. If you think getting the C is tough then the B is impossible, I know coaches who have been waiting four years to get on it.
That’s most of the negatives I found with the course but before I go in to what I learned I want to focus on the positives. Everything I did learn I either do or will use. I found the setup really good in terms of online modules, online seminars and then having the practicals. When I got to the hotel the night before day one I recognised a few of the people from the zoom calls and we were able to have dinner together. I also still talk to a few of them and not just the ones who live in London, it would be cool to coach with them at some point in the future. The four practical days were surreal for me when all I did was wake up, eat, go to the training ground and learn/plan before getting out on the pitch to do sessions and end the day by watching or talking more football over dinner with like minded people. I can’t wait ’til I get to do that everyday. Now on to course structure and what I learned.
