It is always said that each of us has a coach inside, especially those who enjoy football and are judging each decision of the coach of their team. Understanding football does not mean being able to train a group of professional players, with all that that entails. However, bulls always look great from the sidelines. When we are watching a game on television it seems that we have the absolute truth, and we are in a better disposition to analyze it than the coach himself. That man has been on the bench for more or less time, he will have had more or less experience, but if he is there it is for something. In fact, to become a soccer coach it is necessary to go through a fairly intense training that is based on three levels, depending on the type of diploma that we want to achieve. And it is not the same to train the neighborhood team than to reach Real Madrid or Manchester United.
Many soccer players decide to continue their careers linked to their favorite sport as coaches. In fact, many of those who today sit on the most prestigious benches in the world have spent the last two decades for important teams. Guardiola, Zidane, Ancelotti, Lopetegui, Simeone … Many of the most important coaches of the moment have passed through the pitch before, and without a doubt that allows them to have a much closer view of their own players . However, one can take these coaching courses without having played football, at least professionally. It is enough to pass certain requirements, which will vary according to the level we choose. We can stay only in the first level or try to reach the third, which is the professional . What is clear is that to do the latter we must first go through the other two. That will give us the necessary experience to be able to have a much greater vision of the game and the team. Because no, putting ourselves to comment on games at the bar does not count as experience .
Basic Diploma of Soccer Coach
The first level that we find in our tour will be the Level 1, the most basic, which will allow us to train amateur and grassroots teams. It is a 450-hour course that takes place both in person and online, and which is very popular among those who want to train at the quarry . Being the basic level, it also sets the minimum requirements to be able to obtain both this and the rest of the diplomas. You must be over 18 years old, have a Graduate in ESO and prove, by means of a medical certificate, that you can practice sports. In addition, they will also ask you to pass physical tests , although they are quite simple. These physical and technical aptitude tests will also serve as the basis for the entire part of the practical training.
Advanced Diploma
It is the second level, which already corresponds to the advanced diploma , to be able to train semi-professional teams, from categories below Third Division , and also to territorial teams. It usually serves as an intermediate step before we become personal trainers. It is a course of 565 hours, both teaching and practical, and to reach it we have to achieve Level 1 first. It also requires at least one year of training and experience in grassroots football to face this new level, already more advanced. The training is a little longer and much more concrete concepts are seen, also expanding on the practical part. The title serves as a prelude to professional football , and most coaches usually go ahead with the training when they arrive here and pass it. They are one step away from becoming professional coaches and thus being able to fulfill a true dream.
Professional Soccer Coach Diploma
It is level 3 , the highest level of football coach that exists. We must have previously approved the two previous levels to be able to take this professional diploma , a course of more than 800 hours that will offer us a very complete training to be able to train any team in the world. With this diploma in hand, we can reach the First Division in any country in the world, as well as train national teams. You must have at least one year of soccer experience base and another as an advanced coach, a title that is achieved thanks to the previous level. In addition, this level has a special exam to be able to enter to take it, so it is not as simple as accessing the previous levels.
If the course is successfully passed, we will obtain the Professional Coach or Superior Sports Technician diploma, which will allow us to train any federated team, of any category. training is quite important in this last course, since it provides all the skills that a good soccer coach must demonstrate in the course of their work as such. Although there are players who have such a diploma, only a few end up reaching the elite. Others stay in second division or Second B teams, being also professionals, but at a lower level. Age can be another important requirement, since the sooner we take this course, the sooner we can begin to gain experience .
Competencies to be a coach
The coach does much more than picking the starting eleven in a game and deciding what changes to make. A professional master has numerous competencies that he has achieved through his training, and also from his own experience. If you come from professional or semi-professional football , you will surely have an easier time reaching those skills, because after all you already know them from the inside. For example, being able to analyze a player’s technique and progression to judge whether or not they are ready to play. The tactical aspect is also very important, and great emphasis is placed on analyzing one’s own tactics as well as those of others, to channel the talent and work of the players on the field at all times.
Reading the matches well , knowing when a change is needed, a boost, or when the result must be maintained, is also essential. It is not just about giving orders, but about teaching the players what is needed from them at all times, so that they internalize all these tactics. The level of motivation of the dressing room will also depend, to a large extent, on the coach. Psychological work is almost as important as physical work, and we must bear this in mind. Furthermore, if we are training young boys in grassroots football, the inclusion of sports and moral values should also be essential to reinforce their training. A coach’s career progresses as he gains in experience, but those values should never be lost, even when coaching the best team in the world.