MSc Advanced Performance Football Coaching

You will develop an in-depth advanced analysis of pertinent issues relating to football coaching and performance and develop a critical appreciation of the role of the modern-day football coach and how their practice impacts upon the football environment.

What’s more, you will develop a reasoned appreciation and critical understanding of wider tactical, technical, physical, psychological and social issues related to football practice to not only enhance knowledge but also to further professionally develop.

Full time students - Year 1

• The Football Coach as Psychologist (20 credits)

This module is led by Dr Lee Baldock will focus on the coach’s role in developing the psychological aspects of their players’ performance as well as how they must personally consider and develop their own psychological states that facilitate personal and professional functioning. Through a critical analysis and discussion of the extant literature and the applied experiences of tutors and learners working in collaboration, learners will be challenged to reflect on and question the normative language concerning psychology in football and reassess their role in addressing this aspect of performance. Finally, building on the research expertise at USW, learners will be asked to reflect on their own psychological performance to better understand the importance of coping to manage the stress process and maintain their own well-being. 

• Pedagogy in Football (20 credits)

This module is led by Dr Lee Baldock and aims to equip students with knowledge surrounding player and coach learning. The module aims to appraise traditional and contemporary learning theory and apply such information to a variety of football settings and landscapes. The idea being to produce coaches who are able to create potent learning environments that are theoretically underpinned. 

• Curriculum Design and contemporary Player Development (20 credits)

This module is led by Grant Kalahar. With player development being an ever more debated topic, this module aims to appraise a variety of approaches to both training and playing curriculum design, whilst also appraising contemporary approaches to development. In order to enhance industry relevance, this module also aims to share insights and approaches from the field and the contemporary nature of this module requires students to approach content with an open mind and indeed position the knowledge exchanged within their own philosophy. This module seeks to challenge existing beliefs and practices in pursuit of a more evidence-based player development methodology. 

Full time students - Year 2

• Advanced Coaching Practice (UEFA A) (60 credits)

The module is led by Professor Brendan Cropley and aims to develop an enhanced awareness of Individual and team performance through a range of advanced coaching methods. To successfully develop the necessary skills to allow effective evaluation of Individual & team requirements for sustained optimal performance.  Develop a critical understanding of the role, scope and value of the coaching process and the application of key coaching principles. To develop a heightened understanding of key management related issues, applied to a variety of roles within the football industry.

Or choose 3 from 4 modules

• Effective Coaching (20 credits)

This module is led by Melanie Tuckwell and aims to enable students to develop an advanced understanding of critical self-reflective skills through the use of video analysis. The ability to analyse and identify key coaching styles, behaviours and feedback techniques required in advanced coaching situations. In addition, students will develop an in depth understanding of the interdisciplinary approaches that contribute to the coaching process, including their ability to recognise and develop current coaching practice and coaching philosophy. 

• Periodisation in Football: Player Performance & Development (20 credits)

This module is led by Dr David Adams. With the ever-increasing demands placed on industry professionals to plan and schedule training with appropriate knowledge of recovery, loading and tapering for competition, this module has been developed to ensure this understanding is framed to provide the requisite knowledge in order to prepare athletes for high performance. Similarly, this module also respects how this scheduling and specific approaches to periodisation can be applied to ensure effective transition of a player throughout a player development programme. 

• Analysis of Performance and Tactical (20 credits)

This module is led by Benjamin Stanway. This module aims to provide students with the skills required to analyse football practice through computerised means. In keeping with the demands of advanced coaching practice, this module also seeks to develop a refined understanding of tactical approaches both developing game intelligence and informed football recruitment.

• Leading People in Sport  (20 credits)

This module is led by Tom Overton and aims to introduce students to effective leadership concepts with practical application of the skills and knowledge required within contemporary sports organisations. Explore the nature of leadership and the wide-ranging organisational factors that impact on leadership approaches. Debate differences between management and leadership and the role they play in sport. 

And

• Research process (20 credits)

This module aims to develop the student's ability to understand research design in accord with principles of methodological rigour.  The student to engage in the research process from conceptualisation to dissemination.  Appreciate the ethical issues associated with different forms of research and the researcher’s responsibility for good ethics governance.  Recognise and critically interpret the strengths and limitations of the different quantitative and qualitative research designs used in sport and exercise research. 

• Research Project (40 credits)

This module is led by Melanie Tuckwell, and aims to enable students to demonstrate the skills necessary to produce a scholarly, in-depth, empirical research study, resource, or report. 

Part time students – Year 1 

• The Football Coach as Psychologist (20 credits)

This module is led by Dr Lee Baldock will focus on the coach’s role in developing the psychological aspects of their players’ performance as well as how they must personally consider and develop their own psychological states that facilitate personal and professional functioning. Through a critical analysis and discussion of the extant literature and the applied experiences of tutors and learners working in collaboration, learners will be challenged to reflect on and question the normative language concerning psychology in football and reassess their role in addressing this aspect of performance. Finally, building on the research expertise at USW, learners will be asked to reflect on their own psychological performance to better understand the importance of coping to manage the stress process and maintain their own well-being. 

• Pedagogy in Football (20 credits)

This module is led by Dr Lee Baldock and aims to equip students with knowledge surrounding player and coach learning. The module aims to appraise traditional and contemporary learning theory and apply such information to a variety of football settings and landscapes. The idea being to produce coaches who are able to create potent learning environments that are theoretically underpinned. 

• Curriculum Design and contemporary Player Development (20 credits)

This module is led by Grant Kalahar. With player development being an ever more debated topic, this module aims to appraise a variety of approaches to both training and playing curriculum design, whilst also appraising contemporary approaches to development. In order to enhance industry relevance, this module also aims to share insights and approaches from the field and the contemporary nature of this module requires students to approach content with an open mind and indeed position the knowledge exchanged within their own philosophy. This module seeks to challenge existing beliefs and practices in pursuit of a more evidence-based player development methodology. 

Year 2

• Advanced Coaching Practice (UEFA A) (60 credits)

The module is led by Professor Brendan Cropley and aims to develop an enhanced awareness of Individual and team performance through a range of advanced coaching methods. To successfully develop the necessary skills to allow effective evaluation of Individual & team requirements for sustained optimal performance.  Develop a critical understanding of the role, scope and value of the coaching process and the application of key coaching principles. To develop a heightened understanding of key management related issues, applied to a variety of roles within the football industry.

Or choose 3 from 4 modules

• Effective Coaching (20 credits)

This module is led by Melanie Tuckwell and aims to enable students to develop an advanced understanding of critical self-reflective skills through the use of video analysis. The ability to analyse and identify key coaching styles, behaviours and feedback techniques required in advanced coaching situations. In addition, students will develop an in depth understanding of the interdisciplinary approaches that contribute to the coaching process, including their ability to recognise and develop current coaching practice and coaching philosophy. 

• Periodisation in Football: Player Performance & Development (20 credits)

This module is led by Dr David Adams. With the ever-increasing demands placed on industry professionals to plan and schedule training with appropriate knowledge of recovery, loading and tapering for competition, this module has been developed to ensure this understanding is framed to provide the requisite knowledge in order to prepare athletes for high performance. Similarly, this module also respects how this scheduling and specific approaches to periodisation can be applied to ensure effective transition of a player throughout a player development programme. 

• Analysis of Performance and Tactical (20 credits)

This module is led by Benjamin Stanway. This module aims to provide students with the skills required to analyse football practice through computerised means. In keeping with the demands of advanced coaching practice, this module also seeks to develop a refined understanding of tactical approaches both developing game intelligence and informed football recruitment.

• Leading People in Sport  (20 credits)

This module is led by Tom Overton and aims to introduce students to effective leadership concepts with practical application of the skills and knowledge required within contemporary sports organisations. Explore the nature of leadership and the wide-ranging organisational factors that impact on leadership approaches. Debate differences between management and leadership and the role they play in sport. 

Year 3

• Research Process (20 credits)

This module aims to develop the student's ability to understand research design in accord with principles of methodological rigour. The student to engage in the research process from conceptualisation to dissemination. Appreciate the ethical issues associated with different forms of research and the researcher’s responsibility for good ethics governance. Recognise and critically interpret the strengths and limitations of the different quantitative and qualitative research designs used in sport and exercise research. 

• Research Project (40 credits)

This module is led by Melanie Tuckwell, and aims to enable students to demonstrate the skills necessary to produce a scholarly, in-depth, empirical research study, resource, or report.

One of a number of FAW courses we offer, the MSc Advanced Football Coaching and Performance course is taught by industry experts and the teaching methods used include lectures; seminars; work-based learning; practical workshops and scenarios; project supervision; question and answer; group task work and both directed and independent study.

The course in structured to work in sync with those already working within the football industry so there are two compulsory five-day residential study blocks (during October and May), and one optional five day residential in December/January, both held at USW Sport Park.

In between this, you will study additional modules online around your work/life demands. 

Students are allocated a personal tutor to offer academic and pastoral support. Tutorials are offered in person whilst on residential or via video conferencing when studying from distance; progress meetings are held informally within each module and more formal meetings held at each stage of study i.e. PgCert, PdDip and MSc.

Individual supervisors are provided for research projects. With a high level of expertise across all functions of football related and sport science fields, USW is well catered to meet individual needs.

Your studies will be underpinned by the latest research undertaken by the University’s Sport, Health and Exercise Science Research Group which collaborates locally, nationally and internationally with partners from industry and academia to provide world-leading knowledge and impact. For you, this means you will be taught by academics who are at the forefront of their specialist field.

This football coaching course is based around ‘reality-based’ assessments, i.e. assessments that are linked to the skills and demands of the football industry. This ethos not only ensures an applied approach to assessment but further refines the student skill-set.

Students will be assessed via essays, but also via oral presentation; video analysis; reflective portfolios; practical coaching sessions; opposition analysis reports and player profiling to name a few.