The rapid growth of the football sector has created many opportunities to become a sports professional in an expanding, borderless industry. This course prepares you to work as a skilled coach across a range of football-related settings.

On the course, you learn a range of coaching skills enabling you to deliver and plan training sessions relevant to team/player standard. You also learn to evaluate the performance of a player, team or match and have a range of strategies for their development. You can put your learning into practice in football-related scenarios and realistic simulations.

The course offers a broad overview of sport and the football industry in the first year before focusing on coaching, when it covers areas such as performance analysis (player and match); coaching alternative populations; performance coaching; player potential and development; and psychology for football.

You also have the opportunity to gain recognised awards such as FA Coaching Level 1 and 2.

Why choose this course?

• Enjoy the flexibility to choose your preferred pathway (business, coaching or studies), giving you a unique chance to specialise after your first year
• Benefit from work experience placements with our official partners, Luton Town FC, and other local football organisations
• Take up coaching opportunities at local schools
• Be taught by top-class professionals within the field, working with governing bodies such as the FA, UEFA and FIFA as well as experts from professional football teams
• Become an independent, critical learner with the skills and knowledge to review current and future trends within the game as well as develop the professional values associated with high-quality coaching and player support
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in industry (see below), gaining experience, building your CV and making contacts for the future
• If you need to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year (see below) which guarantees a place on the degree course

Course Leader - Simon Robinson

Before coming into lecturing, I worked as a Football Development Officer, Director of Sport and Recreation, Regional Training Unit Coordinator and as a Football Coach.

I enjoy playing and watching football and am a keen supporter of Barnsley Football Club. I also like to play golf, go skiing and I have ran the London Marathon raising money for Diabetes UK.

Units

• Academic Writing Skills (SPO048-1) Compulsory
• Foundations For Football Coaching (SPO060-1) Compulsory
• Introduction To Football Studies (SPO085-1) Compulsory
• Introduction To Research Methods (SPO052-1) Compulsory
• Sport In Action: Management (SPO087-1) Compulsory
• Sport, Physical Activity And Life Story (SPO088-1) Compulsory
• The Football Industry (SPO083-1) Compulsory
• Working In Sport (SPO047-1) Compulsory
• Applied Football Coaching (SPO093-2) Compulsory
• Dissertation Preparation (SPO095-2) Compulsory
• Football Development (SPO096-2) Compulsory
• Football Governance (SPO102-2) Compulsory
• Football In The Community (SPO097-2) Compulsory
• Performance Analysis (Player And Match) (SPO035-2) Compulsory
• Research Methods For Sport, Exercise And Physical Activity (SPO099-2) Compulsory
• Social Psychology Of Sport (SPO026-2) Compulsory
• Advanced Coaching For Football (SPO086-3) Compulsory
• Coaching Alternative Populations (SPO087-3) Compulsory
• Dissertation For Sport And Physical Activity (SPO042-3) Compulsory
• Performance Analysis For Football (SPO090-3) Compulsory
• Performance Coaching (SPO058-3) Compulsory
• Player Potential And Development (SPO091-3) Compulsory
• Psychology For Football (SPO092-3) Compulsory
• Work Placement Project (SPO057-3) Compulsory

How will this course improve my career prospects?

Career paths for graduates of this course include football and sport development; football and sport coaching; and specialised posts in the leisure, sport and recreation industries, including going on to pursue careers with companies like FIFA..

*international students are eligible of receiving the VS'S scholarship of 1000GBP