Our Coach Development Team have planned a new series of online drop-in sessions and face-to-face workshops, providing practical support and guidance for grassroots coaches in Essex.

Kicking-off with four online sessions in March, these discussions are ideal for those seeking support with some of the regular challenges faced by grassroots coaches. The 45-minute sessions will explore topics such as game-based approaches, engaging youth players, session planning and coaching within a theme/topic.

Throughout April and May, the content will be brought further to life with a series of ‘On The Pitch’ practical workshops, taking place at eight different locations across the county. Open to both qualified and unqualified coaches, the following dates have now been confirmed for both online and face-to-face workshops (click on a date to book online):

When Can We Have a Match? Online Discussions: Monday 14th March, Friday 18th March

What Shall We Do This Week? Online Discussions: Monday 21st March, Thursday 24th March

When Can We Have a Match? Face-to-Face Workshops: Thursday 21st April, Monday 25th April, Monday 16th May, Wednesday 25th May

What Shall We Do This Week? Face-to-Face Workshops: Saturday 23rd April, Monday 25th April, Monday 16th May, Thursday 26th May

The new Coach Development Programme has welcomed plenty of positive feedback to date. There are plenty more opportunities for all coaches to access support countywide. Dates are added throughout the season and can be viewed here.

It is also recommended to visit the England Football Learning YouTube channel, which contains a wide variety of ideas to support coaches in their role, as well as our own channel, with playlists dedicated to coaching content. You can also access information by following @EssexCoaches and @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and by searching for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.

FA Coaching Pathway

There were various changes to made to the FA Coaching Pathway during 2021. All qualifications, including the Introduction to Coaching Football, First Aid in Football and Safeguarding Children, can now be found on The FA’s Boot Room website.

For those taking their first steps into coaching, the BT Playmaker by England Football Course is the starting point on The FA’s coaching pathway. This is qualification is required prior to enrolling onto the Introduction to Coaching Football.

You can manage your qualifications through The FA’s My Account page.

A wide range of coaching resources, session ideas and articles can also be found on The Boot Room.