Coaches are an extremely important element at your local football club.
They provide young players with ongoing support and mentorship, as well as offering them extensive knowledge about the game.
Here a few suggestions to help you attract and retain coaches at your local club.
- Have an appropriate coaching structure and support throughout the club
In order to initially acquire high quality coaches, it is important to have a structure that best serves your local club.
Coaches will be drawn to a system that they believe will be productive – in order for them to be as efficient as possible.
For example, it may be necessary for certain positions at a football club to be implemented – such as a junior coaching coordinator, so that individual can provide appropriate guidance and strategies to other junior coaches at the club.
Other positions such as a Technical Director can help more so to oversee the whole direction of the club – from seniors down to juniors.
- Offer incentives for new coaches
While financial incentives may not be an option for all types of local football clubs, if you can afford to do so this is a great way to retain coaches.
Aside from monetary incentives, it may also be worthwhile to provide coaches with educational seminars that are run through the club – so they continue to improve their knowledge.
- Reach out to parents throughout the club
Parents can be an excellent choice to become coaches at your local club.
Most of these parents spend an awful lot of time at the football club, through either just watching their child play or getting involved in other volunteering areas around the club.
If asked, they may be persuaded to become coaches at a junior level and many may have leadership qualities in their day-to-day life that will be suitable in becoming a coach at the club.
- Partner with local universities and give students an opportunity
It is important to find different avenues for you to recruit coaches for your local football club.
Partnering up with local schools or universities in the area can be a great way to get a bunch of interested students into a coaching role at your club.
Students who study sports degrees or diplomas would love to have the experience of coaching at an organisation on their resume.
Providing them with this opportunity may lead them to become further involved with the club and take a paid coaching role in the future.
- Ensure your club is appealing as possible
It is necessary to ensure that your club continues to succeed and grow in various areas – if you want to continue to attract coaches.
If factors such as facilities being continually maintained and upgraded, playing standards continuing to grow and the club being financially viable are all looked after – coaches will be more attracted to join the club’s journey.
If you are to advertise for a coaching position, it is paramount that you highlight all of the things your club has done successfully to entice new recruits.
- Establish Young Leader programmes at your club
Another possible way to keep high quality people involved in your coaching setup is to initiate a young leader program at your club.
This allows those interested in becoming a coach at a younger age to put their case forward and showcase their willingness.
It is important that those looking to becomie a coach down the track have been trained up appropriately, by individuals at the club who have the appropriate knowledge and experience.
- Empower your people
As previously mentioned, it may not be possible at your club to offer financial incentives or paid coaching positions at your club.
However, the thing that makes grassroots coaching unique is the profound difference you are making to other people’s lives.
Many are looking for more meaning or purpose in life, and becoming a grassroots coach can help achieve that.
Coaches teach valuable skills across the board, providing a safe, fun space for youngsters to learn and grow. Not only just their sporting skills in this case, but also their life skills through detailed communication with other children and adults.
On top of this, many people make life-long friendships with those in their local club. So, coaches also enable young people to find these important friendships.
In conclusion, these are just a few methods for your club to attract and retain coaches.
For further tips and tricks – feel free to get in touch and sign your local football club to the Football Pro Directory Business platform here.
