Foundation Degree (FdSc)

Community Football Coaching and Development

This foundation course will cover various aspects of youth coaching, football coaching, sports development, social inclusion, and sports management skills.

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Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    45R9

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • Campus Code

    A

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,535*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

The Foundation Degree in Community Football Coaching and Development provides the opportunity to gain an industry-recognised qualification, whilst studying at a Community Club Organisation and completing a comprehensive portfolio of work-based learning.

Designed For

Students based at a professional sports club studying BTEC awards.

Career Paths

  • Teaching
  • Community Sports Coaching
  • Professional/Elite Coaching
  • Sports Management Roles
  • Sports Development Roles

Skills taught

  • Communication 
  • Problem Solving
  • Leadership
  • Teamworking
  • Analytical Skills

We make a difference in practice, not just on paper. Our courses are designed by people who offer jobs - and taught by people who have real work experience.


Course Highlights

Mentoring

A member of staff from your club will be assigned to you as a mentor, supporting you with learning materials and organising your placements.

Extensive placement opportunities

You’ll gain practical experience of working within the sports coaching and development industry.

Studying in the workplace

You will undertake your studies at your community club organisation. Your lectures will be produced by USW staff, but you will watch these remotely at your club's learning environment.

Module Overview

You will gain comprehensive knowledge of how community football and development is organised, delivered and managed, and you will have the opportunity to lead activities and football events. You will examine fundamental principles of coaching as you seek to enhance your practical delivery skills. You will be offered the opportunity to gain nationally recognised coaching awards and to enhance your practical delivery skills.

Academic Research and Study Skills 
This module is designed to introduce student to the academic, research and study skills required in the first year of studies. The skills will underpin all further study activity.

Football Coaching Theory to Practice 
The module will introduce students to a number of sub-disciplines of Coaching Science, to include the process of coaching, various learning methods, growth and development issues when coaching young children, physical conditioning and psychological preparation.   

Introduction to Sports Science for Coaching 
The aim of this module is to gain basic knowledge and understanding about sports science and to identify how its application may aid the coach in developing athletes to achieve improved sporting performance. This module aims to ensure that coaches of children fully understand the different scientific needs of this population. 

Introduction to Sports Development 
The aim of the module is to introduce students to the principles, roles and scope of sports development work within the UK. 

Football Event Management 
The aim of this module is to introduce students to planning and delivering community football initiatives including: sustainable clubs, taster events and annual events. 

Technical Planning and Reflective Practice in Football 
The module will focus on the theoretical aspects of reflective practice, specifically the use of Gibbs’ reflective cycle, to engage the students in developing reflective skills. 

You will develop the skills and knowledge gained in year one around understanding community football coaching and leadership principles and approaches to developing and managing sport across a range of target groups. You will enhance your breadth of knowledge by completing a school and/or community placement which will enable you to put your ideas and knowledge into practice.

Project Operations Management 
This module is designed to provide students with an understanding of the approaches and techniques associated with managing projects and the operational functions needed to implement them. 

Sport Placement 
This module will provide an opportunity for students to develop reflective practice that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of their work-related experience. 

Football In Society 
After successfully completing this module participants will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the principles of community sports development with a key emphasis on determining the barriers to participation for various target groups. 

Physical Education and Community School Sport 
On completion of the module students will demonstrate an in-depth awareness of Physical Education and School Sport. 

Youth Football Coaching 
The module will focus on long term player development model and teach aspects of technical and tactical specifics of the training to train and training to compete phases of the LTPD model. 

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

As a student at the USW, you will have access to a wide range of learning resources. You will spend at least five days each year at the University where you will complete practical assessments and undertake live lectures and seminars. During your residential visits you will receive full accommodation. Between visits, you will continue your studies at your club, with your Club Mentor guiding you through online learning materials created by USW staff. You will also have access to an online library, Blackboard, and other educational resources.

Teaching staff

Each student will receive support not only from academic module leaders but also through one-on-one sessions with Personal Academic Coaches throughout the year. These sessions are designed to enhance your learning experience and provide tailored guidance. You will meet twice a year with your assigned PAC, who will offer personalised support to help you achieve your academic goals and meet your expectations. Our lecturers have extensive experience in the football coaching, sport coaching, sport development and sport management industry, with some having played and coached at a professional or elite level. Our lecturers have experience of coordinating and managing sport in both local authorities, sports clubs and national governing bodies of sport, and are able to bring this real-life knowledge and experience into the classroom to bring topics to life. Many of our staff are still active in the industry either coaching or representing sports organisations on boards and strategic groups.

Placements

In year two you will complete 140 hours of placement activity (work-based learning). The work-based learning programme will be completed within a sports organisation and will provide you with opportunities to gain experience in areas such as social inclusion, school and grassroots club development, sport development, and coaching.

Facilities

We have a world-class standard designed sporting performance facility that focuses on football and sports coaching. It includes a specialist centre for strength and conditioning with 12 lifting platforms, providing a high performance environment for aspiring athletes. Our full-size indoor 3G pitch is built to the Fifa Pro standard and World Rugby 22 standard. It will guarantee training all year round for our football and coaching students. We are the only university in England and Wales to offer this facility.

Exterior shot of USW's Sport Park

USW's

Sport Science is top in Wales for Teaching Quality 

(Guardian University Guide 2025)

Careers and Employability

Possible career paths

The Foundation Degree Community Football Coaching and Development will prepare you to work in a multitude of coaching, teaching and development roles, instilling the coaching, leadership and development skills that will allow you to change lives through the practice. Graduates with a Foundation Degree in Community Football Coaching and Development can go on to work as sports development officers, Workforce and coach education coordinators, school sport coordinators, National Governing Body officers, PE teachers (primary and secondary), community coaches and self-employed business managers.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS Points: 48 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: DD to include at least one A Level in Science, Mathematics, Physical Education or Psychology but to exclude General Studies.
  • Welsh BACC: Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade D and D at A Level to include at least one Science, Mathematics, Physical Education or Psychology subject but to exclude General Studies. 
  • BTEC: BTEC Diploma Merit Pass or BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Pass Pass in a relevant subject. 
  • Access to HE: Pass Access to HE Diploma in Science or Maths with a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points
  • T Level - P

Additional Requirements:

Entry criteria detail typical offers but USW considers all applications on an individual basis which means that we could make offers based on qualifications, personal profile and experience. Combinations of qualifications are acceptable and other qualifications not listed may also be acceptable.

All applicants for the course need to be affiliated with one of our partner EFL Clubs.

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 3 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances. 

Closed for International applicants 

Unfortunately, this course is not currently open to international applicants, please visit our course pages where you can find an alternative course choice. 

 

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£9,535

per year*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

*Obligatory 

This fee includes £40 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee.

Cost: £55.42

Whilst optional it is strongly recommended signing up for this service especially if you are likely to have placements each year and wish to pursue a career post University where a DBS check is a requirement. Please note the service has to be joined within 19 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate.

Cost: £13

Students will have to fund the cost of travel to the residential elements of the course.

Students will need to fund their travel and subsistence costs when on placement. Costs vary, depending on location.

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.