Football Coaches Australia have today announced an exciting new partnership with Sport Session Planner – one of the world’s leading professional development program designers.
The ground-breaking agreement will provide FCA members with support and access to world class tools and programs to support them in planning and delivering training programs and sessions at both a micro and macro level.
Sport Session Planner was formed in 2011 by Magnus Alford and internationally renowned IT specialists. SSP has grown to be recognised as one of the world’s leading sports software providers for individual coaches, clubs and national sporting organisations globally.
In finalising the partnership Magnus said it would help take coaching to the next level in Australia.
“We’re really excited about the direction FCA are moving towards and knowing that, together, we can provide a robust and empowering structure to support the ecosystem of the coach on their journey; it’s a momentous partnership for SSP,” he said.
FCA Chief Executive Officer Glenn Warry said the coming together was another crucial step towards offering coaches all the tools for success required to thrive in their role.
“Teaming with Sport Session Planner will enable FCA to connect with community and accredited coaches Australia wide, and fully supports FCA’s mantra of ‘For Coaches, By Coaches’,” Warry said.
“Australian football coaches, working in similar environments whether in metropolitan or regional and country football, will conduct the professional development sessions.”
James Robinson, Head of SSP Australasia, works closely with Australian football coaches and believes this partnership will help strengthen coaching both individually and collectively.
“Knowing that our partnership will strengthen the coaching process for the individual coach and our game as a whole, will give confidence and ownership to every stakeholder in the football landscape,” Robinson said.
FCA/SSP will:
- Partner on the delivery of a jointly developed annual professional development curriculum for community and accredited coaches.
- Collaborate on the development and delivery of professional development webinar programs to ensure they suit the needs of coaches at varying levels.
- Provide coaches with access to their own private library resource, the FCA library, where they can save and share with FCA members, the curriculum library and the public library which has over 1 million sessions.
- Improve ongoing learning options for coaches, alongside Football Australia and State Member Federation Coaching Licence courses, and deliver programs aligned with the FA Principles of Play – ‘Attack, defence and transition’.
- Allow coaches to prepare and review their session plans and annual plan to aid training, prepare for matches and record incidents in the game for analysis.
- Be accessible via all platforms – desktop, tablet, Android and IOS devices and allow coaches to share resources nationally and internationally.
On behalf of Australian football coaches the key professional development opportunities that FCA pursue for its members are to:
- Organise and provide continuing ‘revalidation’ professional development activities for Australian football coaches.
- Provide opportunities for Australian football coaches to contribute intellectually to football decision-making that impacts on their role.
- Implement world leading benchmarks, programs and practices to enhance the best practice and capabilities of Australian football coaches and players.
”FCA’s partnerships with X-Venture (FCA XV Essential Skills Program) and Sport Session Planner both align with FA’s Guiding Principle VI ‘to create a strong culture around coach development by emphasising the importance of the role as a skilled position and a vital link in player development’,” Warry concluded.
