An education in Sport

Similarly, the coaching of athletes has undergone a sea change in recent decades. Laptops and lecture halls are now as much a part of a coaches daily life as whistles and stopwatches.

While once a good coach was considered to be someone who could shout loud enough to be heard at the other end of the pitch, their modern equivalent comes armed with computer graphs and enough academic qualifications to put Stephen Hawking to shame.

The formalisation of training qualifications long ago reached into the heart of modern football and the training opportunities now offered at all levels of the game has led not only to improved playing technique from the grass-roots up, but also to a host of new employment opportunities for aspiring coaches and athletes who wish to remain active in their chosen disciplines after their competitive careers are over.

One such course available in Ireland is the BA in Sports and Exercise that is run by the Institute of Technology in Carlow, run in association with the FAI.

The three year degree course includes the more obvious elements of coaching and player development but also includes aspects dedicated to the business and management sides of the game. 

So far it has attracted current League of Ireland footballers such as Shane Tracy (Limerick FC), Gary Shaw (Longford Town), Michael Schlingermann (Monaghan United) and Craig Sexton (Bohemians). And one the key members of staff is Luke Hardy, man who lined out in the colours of Athlone Town, Longford Town and UCD before moving into coaching. But it was while playing in England that Luke first saw the benefits of furthering his football education.

“Following my release from Peterborough United at the age of 19 I knew that I wanted to remain involved in football in a coaching capacity. I saw studying a degree involving sports coaching in a third level as key to my development as a coach and future career prospects. Whilst completing my degree in Cardiff I carried out numerous coaching roles in different organisations to allow me to gain experience of coaching players from different age groups and ability levels. The degree and coaching experience helped me greatly in gaining employment with the FAI in 2006, first as a Development Officer in Laois/Offaly, and since August 2009 on the BA Sport and Exercise (Soccer) Course in IT Carlow.”

With modules on Anatomy and Sports Physiology, along with Sports Economics and Sporting Legal Issues, the hope is that graduates will be armed with the skills to make a career not just on the training field, but also in the wider arena of sports management.

And Luke was keen to stress that the course is not designed purely with top players in mind, but offers young and aspiring players an opportunity to maximise their chances of making their way in the game.

“Students will have the opportunity to train every day with players of a very high standard, developing their technical, tactical, physical, mental and lifestyle capacities. They also get the use of the high performance gym, following individual training programmes to improve their strength and condition, vital components for any aspiring footballer. Over thirty of the current students are currently playing for LoI, A Championship and LoI Under 19 sides.”

The notion that these young players will all be heading towards their FAI Youth Certificate and UEFA B Coaching badges by the time their course ends is surely one of the more positive aspects of the modern game. For all the troubles within the domestic league, and there are many, it is surely a good thing that there is a coaching infrastructure that offers footballers an alternative to being cut off from the game once their playing days are over. 

If you are interested in further information on the course described above, details can be found at the following link. CAO application deadline - February 1st 2012

http://www.itcarlow.ie/study-at-itc/business-humanities/sport-media-marketing/cw827.htm