MWFA

The growth and the success of the 2019 MWFA Future Coaches Program was one of the highlights of last year for MWFA Community Coach Development Manager Eugene Lawrenz.

“This was a special project to me, a bit of an experiment in a way, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome, and I’m looking forward to expanding the group this year and taking the program even further.” Eugene said.

4 of the 10 coaches who participated in the program are now working at NPL clubs (including 3 at Manly United), 2 have become FFA Coaching Course presenters, while 3 have now taken on the role of being a CCC (Club Coaching Coordinator).

There were also several coaches who had quite different experiences: one began their coaching journey in 2020 for the first time, another had his first experience coaching in Australia after moving here a few years ago having earlier coached overseas, while one took on an AL team 5 divisions higher than the previous season.

All 10 coaches learnt many references that could be applied to all sorts of different situations, and they all improved their football knowledge and coaching ability through challenging discussions and problem solving scenarios. There were also networking opportunities both within the group and through several special guests who attended, while many new friendships were created, with the group still staying in contact with each other to this day, often catching up socially in smaller groups to discuss football and even supporting each other at each other’s games.

“A must-do course for any aspiring coach. Coach development at it’s finest.”   – Jane Lillycrop

“It was a football mentoring course that changed my path, developing my self-awareness, and lifting my soft skills (essential for coaching) to the next level, while further developing my football knowledge.”   – Gonzalo Naya

“The Future Coaches Program was very rewarding, challenging and accelerated my football knowledge. I found it a great experience and would recommend it to any coaches that want to raise their bar.”   – Sai van Wegen

“The Future Coaches Program is excellent for those who want to elevate their football coaching knowledge. I don’t have the same way of thinking about football coaching after attending last year. It gave me a much better understanding about football coaching not only at local community level but high level football as well. The program pushed us in the right direction and I strongly recommend it to everyone who has a passion for football coaching.”   – Jorge Cabaco

“Discussing football issues is what you expect, but you understand during the course that your reflections are more focused on your limits, how to overcome them, and how to make them useful to not only be a football manager, but also to be mentor! This is what the program was for me.”   – Giuseppe Barillari

“Coach education is not all about learning new drills or understanding football strategies, it is more about learning how to manage your players and bring the best out of them. Eugene and this program will definitely put you on the right path to achieve this.”   – Kris Korkian

“The Future Coaches Program was rewarding on so many levels that you wouldn’t even think could be achieved during a coaching program: mindset, network, experiences etc.”   – Miguel Irribarren

“Eugene accelerated my football learning by years. He is a consummate professional who could teach anything. The Future Coaches program was as rewarding as it was challenging. This is the best course I have participated in over the last 30 years. My ‘football career’ as I call it now has helped me help others. This has given me a craft to practice and immeasurable joy.”   – David Kenney

“Looking back on the Future Coaches Program, it helped me progress not only my on-field coaching but my personal development as a human.”   – Liam Gerathy

“Be ready to step outside your comfort zone. Be ready to grow and learn.”   – Cristian Rivera

Applications for the 2020 MWFA Future Coaches Program close on October 27.

For more information and to apply, please see here: https://www.mwfa.com.au/2020/09/22/2020-future-coaches-program-applications-now-open/

With the winter football season now complete, MWFA is pleased to announce that coach development opportunities don’t stop over the summer, with several courses available for coaches keen to upskill themselves and pick up some ideas to help organise fun, safe and engaging training sessions during the quieter time of the year.

As usual, we will be running a flexible 14-hour format for the FFA Skill and Game Training Certificates to make it more convenient and also more realistic for coaches to develop their knowledge and skills while working with their own team at their club. This incorporates a minimum of 7 hours on-course time, followed by post-course support including online self-reflections and feedback, being mentored by their club CCC, and attending at least one MWFA coach workshop of their choice either at their club or at Cromer Park during the 2021 season.

PAYMENT INFORMATION

The upfront cost of the Skill and Game Training Certificates is $90 which should be paid directly to MWFA, not through playfootball, and sent before the course start date. If you are an MWFA registered coach in the 2020 season, we will fully refund the course fee to you upon completion of all post-course tasks mentioned above. The $90 course fee should be sent via bank transfer to the following account:

Account Name – Manly Warringah Football Association
BSB – 633-000
Acc Number – 142619261
Reference STC or GTC plus your surname e.g. STCLAWRENZ or GTCLAWRENZ

SKILL TRAINING CERTIFICATE

This course is designed to upskill coaches of age groups U8 to U13. In the Skill Acquisition Phase, the coach MUST focus on building a solid foundation of technical skill. Candidates will also learn about session planning, organisation, coaching methodology, as well as match day coaching. The course is conducted over 14 hours, is fully practical and deals with the development of the 4 Functional Game Skills: First Touch, Striking the Ball, Running with the Ball and 1 v 1.

Monday November 16 and Monday November 23

6:00pm to 9:30pm @ Cromer Park (both nights)

Register here: https://education-ffa.sportingpulse.com/event.asp?ID=22549

GAME TRAINING CERTIFICATE

This course is designed to upskill coaches of age groups Under 14+. In the Game Training Phase, the coach’s aim will be the development of tactical awareness, perception and decision making through a game related approach to training. Candidates will also learn about session planning, organisation, coaching methodology, as well as match day coaching. The course is conducted over 14 hours, is fully practical and provides the coach with training sessions designed to help the players apply the Functional Game Skills in a team setting using the FFA endorsed 1-4-3-3 formation.

Monday November 30 and Monday December 7

6:00pm to 9:30pm @ Cromer Park (both nights)

Register here: https://education-ffa.sportingpulse.com/event.asp?ID=22548

Giuseppe Barillari is an Italian coach with a strong passion for football.

“I grew up with this amazing sport and played this game for many years, and when I reached 26 years old I started to coach kids from 6-8 and 8-11.”

He came to Australia a few years ago, but before this he coached a Futsal team in the Italian C2 division. It is through these experiences that he developed a firm belief on what coaching football is about.

“Coaching for me is a more than teaching some tactics and drills, it’s a way to direct people to mutual respect, empathy, desire to improve, and sacrifice with a mix of fun and hard work. I still believe that sport, and definitely football, can change and improve our lives. Being a coach for me means being a mentor for a different generation, a different culture, different attitudes and different social relations, and bringing everyone together in the same direction to achieve the same goal.”

Giuseppe has taken the initiative to develop himself as a coach, attending several courses and workshops over the last 12 months. These reinforced many things for him about how a coach should approach their role.

“Football is a synonym of life. Obviously being a mentor means to also have strong experience. Being competent and organised is a MUST, but these are also attributes needed to win. I do my best all the time, which for me means being an example to follow, being punctual, being passionate but calm, and being patient and honest.”

Giuseppe only recently got back into coaching since moving to Australia, assisting Jorge Cabaco (another Future Coach from 2019) with his AL2 team at Dee Why in the second half of the 2020 season. He is looking forward to finding more opportunities to coach again in the future.

“I’m starting the C-Licence course in October, and I’m planning to coach again soon. I have a lot to share and that I want to give to the football world.”

MWFA is looking forward to seeing what else Giuseppe is able to give the sport in Australia in the future.

Applications for the 2020 MWFA Future Coaches Program are now open. See here for more information: https://www.mwfa.com.au/2020/09/22/2020-future-coaches-program-applications-now-open/

MWFA are excited to announce the four recipients of the Female Coaching Scholarship for 2020.

This scholarship program, which doubled in size this year, is offered as part of the MWFA’s commitment to increasing the number of female coaches on the Northern Beaches. It was a tough decision on who to select with several very strong applications being received, but we are confident that all four recipients will make full use of this opportunity and become great role models for other female coaches. The winners are:

Sai van Wegen (Wakehurst)

Tess McGrath (Seaforth)

Kiah Kennedy (Manly Allambie)

Marilinda Winter (Manly Vale)

All four coaches will receive funding to attend the FFA C-Licence at Cromer Park (either the Senior C-Licence in November or the Youth C-Licence in February), along with ongoing mentoring, opportunities to develop new skills, and give back by sharing what they’ll learn with other female players and coaches.

MWFA would like to congratulate all four coaches and we wish them the best of luck with their upcoming C-Licence course. We would also like to encourage the other applicants and all other female coaches to continue their development, and MWFA will continue to look for more ways to provide you with support in the 2021 season.

David Kenney started his coaching journey in the 2020 season, assisting his daughter’s U18 team at Curl Curl.

He has been regarded as an expert in business for quite a long time, but decided to take on the challenge of becoming a student in terms of football, enrolling in the Future Coaches Program in 2019. This was very much jumping in the deep end, and he had some doubts even after the first session.

“All of the other coaches were already coaching. It was like they spoke another language. They all lived and breathed football. I had been a referee several years before, but the rules of football could be learned in an afternoon. Being a ref was of no help in terms of strategy, running a coaching session or trying to analyse the chaos of what goes on in a game. This was foreign to me. I played Rugby League and watched it all my life. Day one, I knew nothing about football.”

Since undertaking this new challenge, David has found a new passion.

“My favourite saying is ‘average is over’. Coaching has become an obsession for me. I have devoured YouTube videos, participated in more courses, read books on football and pre-prepared multiple coaching sessions. I am there to assist and I take that role seriously. I’m enrolled in the C-Licence which begins next month. Bring it on!”

David can see what he has learned about coaching helping him in his professional life as well, and vice versa.

“Having mentored over 200 people in business helped me as a coach. I see the players as people first. This has enabled me to build trust and connect. Without this approach, knowledge is useless. Whilst I can deliver a killer pre-game speech at the drop of a hat, I have continued to drill my weaknesses. Training sessions and game analysis has been my focus. The hardest things you ever do are truly the most rewarding!”

The title of Coach still doesn’t sit well with David though, at least not yet.

“After reflecting on my progress, and hundreds of hours of study, I have managed to stop watching football (purely) ‘as a spectator’. Breaking down games to anticipate and learn is something I had believed was impossible for me. It is hard, but things have begun to click.”

David is also now starting to understand why so many people sink their lives into football.

“I believe we all need a great coach in our lives. During the last 20 years, I have observed that the secret to success (in life), including with youth players (or anyone), comes down to having 5 traits as a person: being coachable, self-reflecting, being naturally curious, putting your team above yourself, and having a desire to improve matched with good work ethic. If you are a GREAT coach, it’s so much more likely that the entire team will exhibit these 5 vital traits.”

David also believes this is the formula for a lifelong defence mechanism for withstanding any challenge.

“Building more determined and resilient humans is something I see as (a part) of the job of a coach. A great coach fosters all sorts of learning. It’s incredibly difficult to become a great coach, but how rewarding is the journey!”

David is very appreciative of his head coach Alex Brazete at Curl Curl, as well as the other Future Coaches, who have helped him along his path so far.

“I also want to thank Eugene Lawrenz from MWFA who is a fearless leader and who has created a football culture to be revered, which sparked something in me. Finally, I want to thank the Curly girls for (sometimes) listening to me. Those moments spur me on to get better. I look forward to the next chapter, and I’m delighted that I took that first step.”

MWFA is looking forward to seeing where David ends up taking his football coaching in the future.

Look out for one more MWFA Future Coach Profile next week.

Applications for the 2020 MWFA Future Coaches Program are now open. See here for more information: https://www.mwfa.com.au/2020/09/22/2020-future-coaches-program-applications-now-open/

MWFA would like to thank and recognise all of the hard work CCCs (Club Coaching Coordinators) put in this season to support their coaches and players.

Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, many clubs in MWFA were still able to achieve good things and make progress with coach development in 2020.

A few clubs like Curl Curl for example made use of the lockdown period to create various new resources for both their players and coaches, in addition to sharing those put together by FFA and MWFA on their own websites. Some CCCs worked on creating coach development plans and mentoring their coaches more in depth than they would normally be able to do, like at Dee Why.

CCCs at clubs like Pittwater were able to be more active in terms of supporting coaches at training sessions and/or matches than in previous seasons, and some clubs such as CC Strikers were able to recruit more coaches to help out as CCCs and grow their coach development teams, either during this current season or in preparation for next year.

There were also a lot of clubs being proactive when it comes to courses and workshops. Seaforth for example were able to recruit a lot of current players to undertake coaching courses with a view to being involved as coaches next season, while clubs like Avalon and Forest Killarney also organised and hosted a large number of courses and workshops throughout pre-season and during the season, giving their coaches plenty of opportunities to upskill themselves. It is also worth recognising the efforts of several age coordinators and committee members from clubs such as Belrose and Wakehurst who were able to organise workshops at their clubs.

MWFA Community Coach Development Manager Eugene Lawrenz has been visiting a lot of clubs recently, including on match days, and was pleased with the number of coaches he saw at various grounds who have been through a course or workshop in the last couple of years.

Eugene said: “Overall I’m very happy with what I’m seeing in terms of coaching across all of the different clubs. It’s just a matter of continuing to work with the clubs to increase the number of coaches who are all on the same page, however it is also important to recognise intention, not just the outcome, because player development and also coach development is a long term process.” 

MWFA is proud to see the CCC program continuing to thrive and grow on the Northern Beaches, and looks forward to seeing even more success stories with player and coach development in 2021, with the number of clubs engaged in the CCC program continuing to expand. To find out who the CCCs at your club are, see here: https://www.mwfa.com.au/mwfa-club-coaching-coordinators/

For more information about the CCC program, see here: https://www.playfootball.com.au/coach/ccc-program

MWFA 2020 Female Coaching Scholarship Program Applications Close This Weekend

As part of the MWFA’s commitment to increasing the number of female coaches on the Northern Beaches, and support provided to female coaches, we are pleased to announce that we will be doubling the number of Female Coaching Scholarships available in 2020.

Up to four coaches will receive funding to attend the FFA C-Licence at Cromer Park in either November 2020 (Senior), or February 2021 (Youth – TBC), depending on their interest.

“Receiving the Female Coaching Scholarship in 2019 has been a great experience for me as a coach. The knowledge around planning sessions and delivering information to players and coaches has been extremely useful and has shaped the way I coach. I look forward to continuing to pass these skills along to coaches and players in 2021 season and beyond.”

– Sharna Barras (2019 Female Scholarship Recipient)

For more information on the Scholarship Program and the C-Licence, and to apply, please see here: https://www.mwfa.com.au/2020/09/11/mwfa-increasing-development-opportunities-for-female-coaches/ 

Application close on Sunday September 27.

Despite the challenges with COVID-19 this season, in particular the limited time frame to schedule coaching courses in, MWFA were still able run 16 official coaching courses (compared to 22 last year) catering to 220 coaches, with time for a couple more in the off-season. We are also hosting a Senior C-Licence in November with another 24 coaches registered.

This number includes more than 40 female coaches, which at 18% of the total is actually an increase from 2019, thanks largely to the very successful Female Only MiniRoos course. MWFA was also able to train up 8 new course presenters, including 5 females, to grow their Coach Development Team to 13, headed by Community Coach Development Manager Eugene Lawrenz.

There was also a very large increase in the number of unofficial workshops made available at both Cromer Park and various clubs (17 in total) giving another 220 coaches ongoing guidance throughout the season to complement their official course, or as their first exposure to coach education, more than double the total from the 2019 season.

“I loved the MiniRoos course, it was fantastic. Every coach should do it.”

– Paul O’Shaughnessy (Forest Killarney AL Men)

“My Thursday training this week was great. The kids were a lot more engaged and it kept them going throughout.”

– Paul Murgatroyd (Many Vale U10 Eagles)

“Both courses have had an immediate positive result for my team and myself, as well as making my sessions much more enjoyable and productive for all involved. A really big help for mum and dad coaches out there giving it their best.”

– Mike Weeden (Seaforth W10 Pandas)

“I found the courses very enjoyable, I learnt a lot and I was inspired to improve as a coach. I would certainly encourage other coaches to do the course. I felt like I progressed from my ‘L’ plates to my ‘P’ plates of coaching after attending only a couple of nights. I’m sure coaches with all varying degrees of experience would get something out of it.”

– Luke Collins (Brookvale W10 Butterflys)

There is one final Coach Workshop available before the end of the season (details below), while a Skill Training Certificate and Game Training Certificate both to be held at Cromer Park in November will be announced in the next week or two.

Coach Workshop: Creating and Scoring More Goals
– Ideal exercises for attacking and finishing
– Teaching good decision making
– Managing a wide range of skill levels

Do you wish you had a mentor to help you develop as a coach, but finding someone willing and able (and available) is difficult?
Do you want more regular opportunities to develop your knowledge and skills beyond the occasional courses and workshops on offer?
And are you motivated to push yourself as a coach as far as you possibly can, and not afraid to be challenged?

MWFA is pleased to announce that applications for our Future Coaches Program in 2020 are now open.

This program is open to coaches currently active within MWFA, or anyone in the region looking to get into coaching.

This is a 12-month mentoring program designed to identify, develop and reward aspiring football coaches. There will be an initial phase of weekly sessions starting in late October and finishing in February 2021 after a break. All sessions will take place on Wednesday nights from 7pm at Cromer Park on the following dates.

October 28
November 4, 11, 18 and 25
December 2, 9 and 16
February 3, 10, 17 and 24

Additionally, there will be other professional development opportunities throughout the summer and pre-season, all at no cost. Special guest mentors and experienced coaches will be invited to join these sessions to share their feedback and advice, and participants will then be mentored and supported throughout the 2021 season in their coaching. There is also the potential for coaches in this program to gain paid coaching opportunities with MWFA, MWFA clubs and/or Manly United.

The program will cover content relevant to the participants, including potential areas such as training sessions, match day coaching, video analysis, periodisation, leadership, man management and personal development.

This will be a very intensive and challenging program where participants will be expected to show a high level of commitment and push each other to raise the bar as high as possible.

To send in your application to MWFA, please fill in this form: https://manlyunited.wufoo.com/forms/mwfa-2020-future-coaches-program-applications/

Applications close on Tuesday October 27.

MWFA 2020 Female Coaching Scholarship Program Applications Are Now Open

As part of the MWFA’s commitment to increasing the number of female coaches on the Northern Beaches, and support provided to female coaches, we are pleased to announce that we will be doubling the number of Female Coaching Scholarships available in 2020.

The four coaches selected will receive funding to attend the FFA C-Licence at Cromer Park in either November 2020 (Senior), or February 2021 (Youth – TBC), depending on their interest.

The funding for the scholarship will be in two installments: 50% will be reimbursed by the MWFA after the coach has registered and paid for the course (or their club has paid for them). Once the scholarship recipient has completed all of the Scholarship Program tasks in the 2021 season, the remaining 50% will be reimbursed.

In addition to the C-Licence course, the Scholarship Program will include ongoing mentoring, opportunities to develop new skills and give back by sharing what they’ve learnt with other female coaches, and promoting female coaches in the sport.

All Scholarship recipients from both 2018 and 2019 were involved in presenting the recent Female Only MiniRoos Coaching Course, which was a great experience for them and also a very successful course. See here: https://www.mwfa.com.au/2020/07/21/female-only-coaching-course-a-great-success/. Scholarship recipients also take on the role of being a ‘CCC’ (Club Coaching Coordinator) at their club, supporting other coaches with advice and assistance. See here for more information on the CCC Program: https://www.playfootball.com.au/coach/ccc-program

“I’d like to thank the MWFA for the opportunity to increase my knowledge of football coaching. The Female Scholarship Program has been invaluable. It has changed the way I approach my coaching and increased my knowledge of the game.”

– Catriona Ormond (2019 Female Scholarship Recipient)

Dates for the Senior C-Licence in November at Cromer Park have been confirmed. Please see here for more details: https://www.mwfa.com.au/2020/08/06/senior-c-licence-confirmed-for-november/
Dates for the Youth C-Licence in February will be confirmed and posted on the MWFA website in the coming months.

To apply for the MWFA 2019 Female Coaching Scholarship Program, please follow this link: https://manlyunited.wufoo.com/forms/mwfa-2020-female-scholarship-program-applications/

Application close on Sunday September 27.