![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogit.gradia.fi\/kansainvalisyys\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2020\/02\/sc5-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nCOACHING & LECTURES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Professional\nlevel Coaching was held three mornings a week at the local training center. It\nwas led by the course leader, a UEFA Pro license coach,and his Spanish\nassistant,the class of fourteen was made up of players from semi-professional\nclubs in Galway and surrounding districts. The coaching content was similar to\nthat of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4\u2019s Sports academy,but it was interesting to learn how the\nemphasis was put on specific coaching points, and how the players communicated\nwith the coaches and each other. Monday\u2019s training was in preparation for a\nmidweek national school\u2019s game against Waterford that GTI won 4-2, and so\nprogressed to the semi-final stage. The game was played at a fast tempo, with\nno lack of skill or effort on display, qualities that I will endeavor to\ndevelop in my own players. The students had a very positive attitude to\ntraining and lectures, coaches and teachers are able to feed off this\nenthusiasm, and this makes the whole experience more rewarding and enjoyable\nfor both coaches and players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lectures were held in the school\u2019s main building,nearby classrooms and at the training ground. Course content consisted of Modules in Soccer Coaching, Sport & Recreation, Exercise & Fitness, Sports Injury Prevention, Sports Anatomy & Physiology, Nutrition and Communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Soccer\nCoaching module was led by the Irish Football Association\u2019s Regional Development\nOfficer and on completion enables students to plan and deliver appropriate\npractices for 6-12 year old soccer players. This module I believe should\ndefinitely be incorporated into the Finnish football academy program!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of\ntheir Health Promotion project, students were assigned to design and deliver a\nhealth promotion program. While sitting in on the final fifteen minute visual\npresentation, I was reminded how important oral communication and presentation\nis. If Finnish players are required to plan and take responsibility for their\nown training sessions, they will develop a greater self ownership and\nconfidence which will then hopefully transfer into the games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Exercise & Fitness module required the students to design a six week fitness program. The class I attended was held in a nearby gymnasium. While students experimented with various fitness apparatus relating to what they were planning, the course leader held brief individual discussions with the students regarding how their project was progressing. This bought home to me how in my own work how important coach\/player communication is, in all aspects of their football and academic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n QUALIFICATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On completion of the one year course students gain qualifications in Sport, Recreation & Exercise. An FAI Coaching Qualification, and Qualification as a Personal Trainer or Fitness Instructor. Players have graduated to play professional football in Ireland and England, and in the semi-pro ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CONCLUSSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This was an\ninvaluable experience in term of my development as a teacher and coach. Galway\nGTI\u2019s program is organized and presented very professionally ,and I would like\nto make a return visit in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teacher\/Student\ncommunication skills,course content, presentation skills, and stepping out of\nyour comfort zone are just a few of ideas that arose from this visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I certainly think that some of the theoretical modules should be added to the sports coaching program in Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4, or why not the whole course be added to the curriculum at Gradia Vocational Institute!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Text and pictures: Stephen Clark My EU Job Shadowing project took me to the Galway Technical Institute, located in the center of Galway city, Ireland. It is one of the leading colleges of Further Education in Ireland. The project involved observing the teachers and coaching personnel working on the Elite Soccer \u2013 Performance & Coaching … Jatka lukemista DUAL CAREER \u2013 SOCCER & STUDYING IN IRELAND<\/span> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogit.gradia.fi\/kansainvalisyys\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2020\/02\/sc1-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogit.gradia.fi\/kansainvalisyys\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2020\/02\/sc3-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogit.gradia.fi\/kansainvalisyys\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2020\/02\/sc-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogit.gradia.fi\/kansainvalisyys\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2020\/02\/sc6-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogit.gradia.fi\/kansainvalisyys\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2020\/02\/sc7-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogit.gradia.fi\/kansainvalisyys\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2020\/02\/sc2-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"