A diary of a coaching leader – Creating better learning for coaches

Coaching Leaders didn't just help me develop as a leader in a new role at the FAW. It helped me think differently about how people learn and how we create person-centred coaching environments. 

Today, that learning is helping influence our systems, developing coaches more effectively and contribute to a culture of continuous learning across Welsh football.

What I have learned from the programme is shaping discussions and decisions made by our whole coach education team at the FAW.  

One area where the learning has had a real impact is our approach to developing coaches beyond formal qualifications. Coach education can sometimes be viewed as a journey from one qualification to the next. 

Through the learning and reflection on the Coaching Leaders programme, I became more interested in how we support coaches to develop throughout their journey. 

Learning doesn’t start when a coach starts on a course and it doesn’t end when they’ve got their qualification. It’s constant. It should be seen as more like a place in time, rather than the end of the line. 

That thinking and the support from Sport Wales shaped our Coach Developer pilot programme. Working across Wales, we had six regional coach developers from the FAW who provided on the ground support to grassroots coaches in their real life environments. The aim was to help solve the challenges they face, build up their confidence, and continue their learning in their true scenarios. 

Whether they’re junior girl’s coaches or local league men’s coaches, we don’t want to just provide their qualifications and send them on their way. We want to shift to supporting their development. 

This is what matters most. Better supported coaches create better sporting experiences for our football players. If we can help coaches feel confident and motivated to keep learning, then we’re helping create environments where participants enjoy and stay involved in football.

A recurring theme throughout the programme was understanding learning through the eyes of someone attending a coach education course.  

The programme introduced frameworks and concepts that challenged me to think more deeply about how people engage with learning, how they retain information and how they apply it in their own environments. 

It reinforced the importance of making learning person-centred, rather than simply delivering information and hoping it sticks.  

As a result of the programme, at the FAW, we now place an even greater emphasis on creating meaningful learning experiences that help football coaches apply ideas in their own context and continue developing long after a course has finished. 

Credit: FAW

The Coaching Leaders programme challenged me to consider how we can do more to evaluate our own coaching courses. How do we know that coaching courses have genuinely changed behaviour? Are the coaches actually applying their learning? Is it making a difference to participants? 

That has had a direct influence on my team’s approach to coach education within the FAW. It’s important that we evaluate the long-term impact of our programme and that the education is leading to genuine change in coaching. 

As an organisation, we were already trying to be data and insight-led. The course has re-emphasised the importance of using evidence to evaluate impact to improve the support we give our coaches.

Some of the best learning and support comes not from the lessons or the activities you do but the people you meet. 

The workshops and tools obviously provided plenty of insight. But the conversations with like-minded coaching leaders which took place outside the classroom (and continue to happen to this day) were equally valuable. 

Everyone on the programme brought different experiences and perspectives. And not just the Welsh coaches, who already understand some of the realities I face at the FAW.  

It’s been interesting to pick the brains of those from Scotland and Northern Ireland and make new connections.  

Whether it’s Coaching Leaders from boxing, gymnastics or swimming, I have learned something from everyone. Learning never stops. There is always another perspective to hear, another idea to explore and another way to improve what we do. 

I can’t stress how much Coaching Leaders has helped me gain confidence in what I’m doing. It’s given me more confidence to do different things. To experiment. To keep pushing boundaries. And to share my learning with others. 

My advice for any coach developers would be to:  

• Try out your new ideas 
• Don’t be afraid to challenge existing systems 
• Be the one to lead change but don’t worry if it takes time 
• Experiment with new approaches 
• Think strategically in your decision making 
• Make connections and build up networks 

The residential format also allowed me to step away from my normal environment and spend time with other coaching leaders. It really gave me time to reflect. To stop and think - “am I doing the right thing?” And whether our programmes were genuinely meeting the needs of coaches. 

Without the course, change may still have happened. But Coaching Leaders gave me the confidence to make certain decisions and move our coach education forward. 

Rob's experience is one example of the impact Coaching Leaders has had on Welsh sport.  

The Coaching Leaders programme is now supporting a second cohort of coaching leaders from across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  

Sharing how the learning helped him to shape coach education at the FAW, Rob returned to the programme, but this time as a guest speaker. 

Here's what Matt Wenn, Sport Wales Coaching Lead, had to say about the programme and the difference participants are making.

If you want to hear more about the Coaching Leaders programme or how you can better support your coaches, email Matt Wenn.