Eugene Lawrenz

John Dennison has been playing and coaching football for his whole life. He grew up in England, but after being offered a job in Sydney, John and his family moved to Australia in 2005.

The first thing he did was to enroll his eldest son at their local club, Seaforth FC.  This is where his coaching journey began and he has not looked back, coaching every year since.

Over the past 15 years, John has coached in every youth age group ranging from U6s to U18s. In 2020, he coached the U14 Division 1 Academy and U18 teams, as well as with the Sydney FC Skills Training Program. For the 2021 season, he will be coaching three teams, including the Seaforth U15 Division 1 Academy team. One of John’s proudest achievements was winning Seaforth’s prestigious ‘Coach of the Year’ award in 2018, and he strongly believes in developing himself as a coach.

“It is important to develop and maintain knowledge, and through my passion for football, I am committed to being the best coach and role model I can possibly be. I have regularly participated in MWFA coaching courses over the years and have the FFA ‘C’ License. I also supplement my football knowledge by reading books and watching matches.”

John also believes that coaching with a positive approach is important.

“I encourage and support the players at every opportunity. Every player is different in terms of ability, confidence and personality, so I adapt my approach and communication to best suit each individual. This leads to a positive team environment in which every player can develop and reach their potential.”

John is also an CCC (Club Coaching Coordinator) and member of the Seaforth ‘Coaching Development team’, as he wanted to share his experience by supporting players and fellow coaches across the club. During the football season, he can always be found at Seaforth Oval running a session!

He also some advice for anyone, including parents, considering coaching a team.

“Coaching and developing players to reach their potential within a positive team environment has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life, and I actively encourage everyone to give it a go. It can be time consuming, but is definitely worth it!”

MWFA is looking forward to seeing John continuing to create positive football environments for both players and other coaches to develop.

Look out for more articles on other MWFA Future Coaches over the coming months.

Patrick Tagliazucchi grew up in Modena in the North of Italy, an area they call the ‘Motor Valley’ due to the popularity of motor sport. Despite having a passion for car racing himself since he was little, as well as a dad who was a rally driver, he soon realised it was never going to be his future, as it was more of a sport for rich kids. Instead, most who grew up in the late 70’s and early 80’s in middle class rural parts of Italy spent their days kicking a ball around anywhere that looked like a soccer field, and Patrick enjoyed connecting socially through the simplicity and spontaneity of football.

Today, those values are still at the core of what he coaches his U8s and U9s.

“My motto is ‘keep it simple’ as much as you can, but also be spontaneous when you play football. I encourage them to create things out of nothing. It’s like painting something beautiful that you are not aware of until you see the end product. Seeing the surprised looks on their faces when they score a goal is my inspiration as a coach. At that young age it is amazing to see how much benefit playing a healthy football game can have on shaping their characters.”

Patrick fell in love with coaching the way many do: coaching his young son and seeing him progressing to the next level.

“Year after year I have been blessed to be part of his journey, something I was not lucky enough to have as a kid. I believe that at a young age, the right sporting structure, in whatever code it is, hand to hand with building a hard work mentality and strong role models to refer back to, will make these kids become stronger human beings at a later stage, not only in sport but also in life. It is a fine line though, as you have to respect and understand their different characters to be able to bring the best out of them. This is my role as a coach: helping them become the best they can be, whether that’s the next superstar or just loving the game and playing football until they are 50 years old with their friends.”

Patrick would like to be remembered as a coach the way he remembers his own coach.

“When I was a teenager all the way through to my 20’s, my coach was a hard bastard, but he made me a tougher man in life. For what he passed on to me about how to deal with whatever happens on the pitch, I will always look up to him and be grateful. The values he passed on to us were above all respect, perseverance and hard work with a group ethic.”

Similarly, his main goal as a coach is to be loved as a person first, and as a coach second.

“I need that intimate connection with my players so I can transmit the message across to them in the most effective way. Trust and respect, as well as a common belief in what we are working towards even when things get tough is my coaching backbone. I found in these last few years of coaching that a tight group of players are much harder for an opposition to break down, and they give a lot more to the cause of winning the game together.”

Patrick has a lot of hope for the future of Australian Football, with a talented and multicultural generation coming through. He is currently planning to coach an U9/U10 team this year, but he is also looking for opportunities to become an assistant coach at higher level, whether SAP or NPL Youth,

“I would like to progress and improve my experience in coaching training sessions and match day, and to be able to constructively learn new methodologies from professional coaches. I am also planning to do my C-Licence this year and will keep working on my main training tool – watching football games, because I love it!

MWFA is looking forward to seeing Patrick continue to have a positive influence on the next generation of footballers.

Look out for more articles on other MWFA Future Coaches over the coming months.

MWFA is continuing to develop the coaches of the future.

After the success of the 2019 Future Coaches Program, the level of interest increased in 2020, with 12 new coaches deciding that they wanted to undertake an intense and challenging experience, while 6 coaches from last year’s program have returned as mentors.

Like last year, the new group includes people from a wide variety of backgrounds, ages and levels of experience, as well as different ambitions and motivations for being involved in the program. The common theme between all of them is their attitude and desire to improve as a coaches, which means the bar has been set very high throughout.

8 sessions covering a variety of areas have been completed so far, with another 4 to take place early next year, before the program moves more into a 1-on-1 mentoring format during the 2021 season. A lot of the content was chosen by the participants, including video analysis, leadership and culture management, tactical understanding, and understanding how the brain works; while a lot of self-reflection and peer feedback has been taking place as coaches present about themselves and where they want to go with their coaching.

Several special guests were invited to share their experiences and advice to the group, including Sydney FC Technical Director Kelly Cross (pictured above), Sydney FC NPL Head Coach Jimmy van Weeren, and former Manly United Women’s Head Coach Chris Williams. MWFA would like to thank these guests for giving back to community football and sharing their knowledge, as all of the coaches very much appreciated their professionalism and openness.

Look out for profiles on each of the Future Coaches on the MWFA website in the coming months.

Another FFA C-Licence course has been completed in MWFA, with 23 senior coaches undertaking 7 days of intense education. It was a big challenge for everyone, but also a lot of fun with a lot of learning taking place, which they will now be able to pass on to their players and also other coaches.

The majority of participants were from within MWFA, with a good spread across several clubs, including 2020 Female Scholarship winners Tess McGrath and Sai van Wegen, and 6 coaches from the 2019 Future Coaches Program.

“It was a demanding but awesome course that significantly exceeded my expectations in terms of structure, knowledge and quality of delivery. For me it was equal parts enlightening and inspirational to experience first hand the commitment of FNSW and MWFA to driving world class coach development at all levels of the game.

And as a passionate lover of football, it also gave me a lot of confidence in the robustness of the underlying approach, directionally where FFA are taking things, and the quality of the people seeking to drive this change.  

Congrats to Eugene Lawrenz from MWFA, Drew Taylor & Chris Adams from FNSW – this is a fantastic foundation course that should be celebrated, with huge value being provided. Brilliant!”

• Greg Chipman (Wakehurst)

MWFA would like to wish all of these coaches the best with their coaching moving forward, and commend them for their commitment to the never ending process of learning and personal development.

MWFA will be hosting another FFA/AFC Youth C-Licence coaching course in February 2021.

See here for more information: https://www.mwfa.com.au/2020/10/20/mwfa-to-host-another-youth-c-licence-in-february-2021/ 

Football NSW are delighted to announce that as part of the 2020 Australian Coaching Conference, Manly Warringah FA’s Curl Curl FC will be presenting on the topic “How To Improve The Coaching Experience At Your Community Club”.

The presentation will give all community football clubs an insight into the Club Coach Coordinator Program (CCC).

The CCC program is an FFA Coach Development program designed to support grassroots coaches within their own club environment to support their volunteer grassroots coaches and improve the playing and coaching experience at grassroots clubs.

Curl Curl Football Club is a community club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.  It was founded in 1958 and recently enjoyed its 60th-year anniversary.  It is one of the five largest clubs in the Manly Warringah Football Association (MWFA). Curl Curl FC currently has 97 teams from Under 6s to Over 45s with 73 teams in its youth program split between mixed and girls and between competitive and non-competitive.  It has 1341 registered players which has grown strongly in recent years.  All their youth team coaches are volunteer parents.

Curl Curl FC was an early adopter in 2016 of the CCC program established by FNSW and promoted by MWFA.  Curl Curl FC were doing some of the coaching support activities already but the CCC program allowed this to be structured and sustainable.  In 2016, the club brought the CCC program to life in a way that matched the available time of its group of CCC volunteers.  However, four years later, the club has evolved its CCC program to include delivering their own in house coaching workshops, a mentoring program for youth coaches, providing equipment and session plan resources and also providing regular communication and recognition for its many volunteer parent coaches.

Their CCC program is now run by a group of 11 experienced coaches (CCCs) who all contribute a small amount of extra time to keep the program running with in-built succession.  Curl Curl FC is experiencing strong coach retention year on year, they find parents are more willing to volunteer to be coaches due to the support available and the club has built a reputation for a positive coaching and player community across their youth program as a result of their CCC program.

The presentation will be delivered by Curl Curl Football Club’s Head CCC Gareth Banks who is a father of players at the club and has been a volunteer CCC at the club since 2016.

“It is terrific to be able to showcase the fantastic work that has been implemented by Curl Curl FC as part of the CCC program”, said Football NSW’s Coach Development Manager Chris Adams.

“It is great to see the CCC program start to be integrated across several other community clubs across New South Wales and it is a vital tool as we look to support volunteer community coaches where they are and when they are.”

“This presentation will be give great insights into how a community football club has improved the coaching and playing experience at their club.”

The 2020 Australian Coaching Conference will be held online on Saturday 28 November, noting that registration will allow participants to access the content any time afterwards through a specially designed online platform.

Click Here to Register today.

MWFA is pleased to announce that Cromer Park will be hosting another FFA/AFC Youth C-Licence coaching course in February 2021.

MWFA hosts C-Licence courses as a key part of its retention strategy to ensure football players get a positive football experience, which is largely driven by coaching, and this will be the third Youth C-Licence course on the Northern Beaches in the last two years.

“MWFA has placed a high priority on the role coaches play in the football experience for our players, and hosting C-Licence courses at Cromer Park makes it easier for those coaches interested in taking the next step,” said MWFA CEO David Mason. “This C-Licence course, which will be driven by our Coach Development Manager Eugene Lawrenz, is aimed at coaches looking to make a difference with both grassroots and talented young players.”

This course is open to coaches 18 years of age and older, and gives candidates an understanding of the National Curriculum and the FFA Vision and Philosophy. Course participants will be exposed to the key aspects relevant to coaching players in both the Skill Acquisition (9 – 13 years old) and the Game Training (13 – 17 years old) Building Blocks, and introduced to all elements of the National Curriculum, The FFA Team Model and the Coach Expertise Model.

Dates:
Sunday January 31
Sunday February 7
Sunday February 14
Saturday February 20
Sunday February 21
Saturday February 27
Sunday February 28

Cost: $1,155

Note: Coaches will be required to attend all course dates from 9am to 4pm. The course is the first step on the FFA Advanced Pathway to become a professional coach, and there is significant amount of work to be completed before you attend the course. It is highly recommended that coaches who have not previously attended any other coaching courses complete the FFA Skill Training Certificate or FFA Game Training Certificate first which is run across 2 nights. Both of these courses are currently available at Cromer Park, starting at 6pm each night.

The Skill Training Certificate (U8 – U13) is on Monday November 16 and Monday November 23. Register here: https://education-ffa.sportingpulse.com/event.asp?ID=22549

The Game Training Certificate (U14+) is on Monday November 30 and Monday December 7. Register here: https://education-ffa.sportingpulse.com/event.asp?ID=22548

Registration: There are limited places available on the C-Licence so make sure you register early here: https://education-ffa.sportingpulse.com/Entry/?EIDMC=9549611&MenuID=%2f17038%2f0 

For further information please contact MWFA Coach Development Manager Eugene Lawrenz at eugene.lawrenz@mwfa.com.au

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