Football Coaches Australia launch XV Essential Skills program

Football Coaches Australia and XVenture are launching its FCA XV Essential Skills education and professional development program.

Football Coaches Australia (FCA), in partnership with XVenture, is excited to launch its FCA XV Essential Skills education and professional development program.

A global first, this is a revolutionary new coach education and development program delivered via a rich and engaging virtual world learning experience. The program will be readily accessible for all coaches, from local football to elite football.

The series of modules aim to develop the ‘essential skills’ of coaching – Emotional intelligence, Leadership, Communication, Culture and Resilience. It is filled with contemporary examples from football globally, as well as providing an overview of key research across the five modules.

The modules contain 20 subjects presented in a variety of fully integrated and multi-media style materials in the form of videos, articles, activities and podcasts and connected tests to confirm understanding of key concepts.

Exterior of FCA College

FCA CEO Glenn Warry outlined the potential that the FCA XV Essential Skills program has in growing the reputation of Australian football domestically and internationally.

“Our vision as an organisation is to promote the strength and reputation of football in Australia, and the reputation of Australian football on the world stage, he said.

“Our partnership with XVenture is going to enable the FCA to position itself as a world leader in the delivery of unique professional development experiences for football coaches.”

FCA President Phil Moss will introduce the course to participating coaches as they make their way through the virtual world of the FCA XV College foyer. Moss is enthusiastic about the exciting opportunities offered by the alignment between FCA and XV.

“This is a world first opportunity presented initially to Australian coaches but accessible to every coach around the football universe,” he said.

“At the very heart of everything FCA stands for is ‘for Coaches, by coaches’ – so this an incredible opportunity to enhance the continuing education around every coach’s journey no matter what level they are working at. It is something we, along with our highly valued partners XVenture, are just so proud to present.

“The global pandemic has taught us to be more innovative than ever before & these Essential Skills programs, inside our very own FCA College, is taking that innovation to heights never before seen!”

Speaking on a webinar last Monday evening, XVenture founder Prof. Mike Conway acknowledged the importance coaches have – not just in developing individual talent, but in guiding and ensuring the wellbeing of their players.

“Coaches are taught to have amazing skillsets on technical, tactical and physical, they’ve had that for a long time… where I try to bring in a new & different perspective in the elite sport environment is in the areas of emotional intelligence, leadership and communication. Where teams apply these skills typically there are higher performance levels,” he said.

“If you go into the Socceroos camp it’s a beautiful environment. We’ve got to make sure that players want to be there as they’re traveling all over the world for 10 to 15 days at a time, so we’ve got to make it a really positive environment and how we do that is part of the various different subjects.

“This education platform is a big project and I’m massively committed to football, I’ve grown up with it and so I see the power and the strength of what we can do when we’ve got a great coach working with great young kids, we can make a lot of change.”

Each of the modules were constructed in accordance with the principles of the Attention, Generation, Emotion and Spacing (AGES) model in an effort to ensure coaches learn quickly and are able to retain information far beyond finishing the course. The platform will include a total of 103 subjects which will take between 10 to 15 minutes each to complete.

Warry, in speaking on the modern approach of the FCA XV Essential Skills program noted how influential it can be for young players.

“In my work with university students over the past twelve years the big thing they tell us about delivery of content is that they don’t want anything in ‘longer bites’ than 10-15 minutes,” he said.

“This is the way young people are learning these days. In designing the pedagogy and the delivery model, [we’ve built] a state-of-the-art program in the way we’re delivering education.”

Upon completion of each individual module, coaches will receive 30 CPD points from Football Australia – as well as recognition of prior learning from a major Australian University following the conclusion of all five modules.

Modules will be released through a gradual rollout starting Tuesday April 6, 2021 – accessible for registration here.

Previous ArticleNext Article

AFC aligns with AIAC for improved football dispute resolution

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), highlighting their dedication to fortifying football law and to providing multiple sports dispute resolution pathways in Asia.

The MoU, signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, is a three-year agreement which aims to cultivate greater collaboration between the AFC and AIAC.

The agreement is the latest in a long running partnership for the AFC and AIAC. Since 2015, the organisations have cooperated to host seminars, conferences and training programs, focused on educating the public and officials about sports law and dispute resolution.

AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs, Andrew Mercer, expressed his excitement for the agreement via press release.

“We are delighted to formalise this important collaboration with the AIAC, who share common interests and values to promote academic and practical training in sports specific alternative dispute resolution in Asia,” he said.

AIAC Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Almalena Sharmila Johan, conveyed a similar sentiment.

“As we embark on this partnership, we celebrate the convergence of our expertise, values and dedication to raising the standards of ADR within the sporting community. The ASIAN Sports Arbitration Rules exemplified our commitment to advancing the spirit of justice in the sports industry as a whole, by providing a comprehensive framework for expedient dispute resolution that best preserves fairness and integrity within sports,” she said via press release.

This latest agreement will facilitate the AFC’s and AIAC’s desire to operate a yearly workshop or conference concentrating on sports law.

Both organisations wish to voice a plurality of opinions across Asia to explore conversations about recent sports law trends and developments across the continent and the world.

Additionally, this space would also provide an opportunity to discuss and review best law practices and alternative dispute resolution methods to find new solutions and remedies that will strengthen the future of Asian sports law.

FIFPRO Europe and UEFA sign MoU to enhance players’ influence

UEFA and FIFPRO Europe have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening players’ influence in European football governance.

As part of the agreement signed by both organisations’ leaders in Paris, a FIFPRO Europe representative will join UEFA’s executive committee starting May 2025.

UEFA has also pledged to consult FIFPRO Europe on decisions affecting players’ employment conditions and any competition reforms that could influence players’ workload.

Additionally, active players and player representatives will take part in a new UEFA Professional Players’ Advisory Forum, set to begin meeting next month to discuss solutions for collective challenges facing professional footballers in Europe.

This three-year MOU will grant footballers and their unions more influence over decisions impacting their work, including match calendar adjustments, playing conditions, and health and safety issues.

The agreement also establishes a framework for FIFPRO Europe and UEFA to work together on initiatives to advance women’s football, focusing on fair employment conditions and minimum standards.

The two organisations will also collaborate on medical research, player education, and awareness campaigns addressing doping and discrimination.

Additional collaboration areas include strengthening stakeholder dialogue at both national and European levels, exploring joint commercial opportunities involving player data and intellectual property rights, and offering support to players who are out of contract.

FIFPRO President, David Terrier, was full of positive thoughts regarding this agreement.

“This agreement is a hugely positive milestone for professional players across Europe. With player representation now anchored at UEFA’s highest level, we are securing a stronger voice for players where it matters most,” he said via press release.

“Our ongoing dialogue with UEFA is already yielding positive results, and this MoU will only strengthen our ability to shape a framework that will advance player welfare and ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for football, where the needs and rights of players shall always be at the forefront, both on and off the pitch.”

UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, is confident their relationship with FIFPRO will support the growth of football for all.

“This partnership represents a new era in our relationship with FIFPRO Europe. Players are at the heart of football, and their perspectives must shape the decisions taken,” he said via press release.

“By inviting them to join the UEFA Executive Committee, we are creating a more inclusive future for the game, one in which the topic of player welfare will be at the forefront. This is about making tangible strides to ensure football continues to grow for everyone.”

You can view the MOU here.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend