Attempting to crack the coaching code

Football management is by no means a secure profession, so those who opt to take the plunge into it are usually quite brave (or foolish) souls.

Hailed as a hero one week, ridiculed as a villan the next. Under pressure from supporters, board members and media hacks. Little reward for the long hours put in. Is it any wonder that so many managers appear to operate with a Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde type of complex?

Then again, the euphoria that a manager feels when their team puts the hard training into practice and achieves the desired result makes it all worthwhile. Away from financial boosts and materialistic pats on the back, surely that is the biggest joy for any manager or coach.

“In sport, a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a team or of individual sportspeople.

“Coaches train, develop and mentor these athletes to become better at the physical components of the game. The coach is accountable for the overall performance and results of the team of player.” Once upon a time, the route into management was merely a short skip – especially when one had friends in high places. This is no longer the case as qualifications need to be obtained and not everyone makes the grade.

To land a top job in the Airtricity League, one must possess a UEFA A licence and be working towards their UEFA Pro licence. Not a lot to ask of someone really. However, it takes quite some time to reach that level.

If a player decides that they want to get into coaching then the PFAI hold special courses just for them, but for anybody on the outside trying to break in there are courses spread across the year that do not offer up many places and are not held as frequently as they should be.

That hold up can sometimes hinder a coach’s chances of landing a job. Take the example of Darius Kierans. The 31-year-old had been working his way through the youth system with Drogheda United, where he was enjoying minor success.

Then an opportunity arose for him to take over the reins of the first-team. He stepped in, steadied the ship, restored confidence and went unbeaten for three games. So the Drogheda board asked him to become the permanent manager.

However, Kierans isn’t due to finish his UEFA A licence course until November. So his first shot at cracking the coaching code left him red-faced as the FAI declared that he didn’t have the right paperwork to take the job.

Rather than helping a coach make significant strides up the coaching ladder, the Independent Club Licensing Committee ruled that they would not grant the rookie boss any form of dispensation.

Of course, the FAI should be applauded for introducing such high standards when it comes to the managers that run the Airtricity League clubs. But if someone is almost there, they shouldn’t be blocked from trying to break through.

The obvious solution to this problem is to hold more FAI coaching courses around the country, speed up the process of rubber-stamping qualifications and helping would-be coaches get involved with clubs.

Until that happens there will be many people who turn away from a life in coaching simply because they have been discouraged by the system in place and how tough it is to crack the coaching code.