Football Coaching and Performance

The Football Coaching and Performance programme provides an opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge required to gain employment in the football industry both in the UK and internationally. This is achieved by combining the systematic and detailed analysis of Association Football within a vocational and applied coaching context. Students are able to develop their practical coaching competence through studying the theories and concepts that underpin team and individual performance in Association football and by pursuing a supported series of coaching placements.

The Football Coaching and Performance programme aims to

• Foster and nurture an engaging and critical analysis of the theories and concepts relevant to enhancing performance in Association Football.

• Develop a critical understanding of the theories and concepts that influence and shape the behaviour and performance of coaches and coaching practice in the context of Association Football.

• Enable students to develop and extend their understanding of the methods and processes of intellectual enquiry related to the coaching and performance process in sport.

• Develop confidence in the application of knowledge and understanding that enhances the competence of students in their capacity as coaches capable of delivering practice without the need for direct supervision.

• Ensure students acquire a systematic understanding of the principles of play appropriate to Association Football and advanced tactical and strategic knowledge relevant to the 11v11 format and other formats of the game.

• Develop a critical understanding of the cultural, political, social and economic landscape in which Association Football is located and the dynamic inter-relationship with the process of sports development at a local, regional, national and global level.

The University of Chichester has a long tradition of playing excellence in Association Football.

The University has considerable depth of expertise within Association Football amongst the staff and this includes three UEFA A licence coaches, Four UEFA B licence coaches, experienced FA coach educators, FA Coach mentors, 1st4Sport External and Internal Verifiers and the manager of the England women’s beach soccer team.

Through this expertise and the active coaching involvement of it’s staff the University has an extensive network of relationships with many local professional and semi-professional clubs as well as a growing network of international relationships with clubs in North America and Asia.

The University also hosts the Sussex Futsal league and is a Centre for Disability Football, as well as being an approved centre for FA/1st4Sport coaching qualifications. During the course of the programme students will be able to apply and develop their knowledge of Association Football through the context of the different formats in which the game is played.