KICK OFF | Coaching in Confidence

The Introduction to Coaching 1.1 Course kicked off in style last weekend, with 22 students taking their first steps to becoming qualified coaches. The course was delivered with our partners at the Scottish Football Association and was unique in the sense that it was the first-ever course tailored specifically for female students.

The course included 22 participants – representing 10 different universities across Scotland – from a mixture of student football and futsal clubs!

David Baird and Karen McConnell from the SFA led the session, with support from Niamh Russell. In addition, Debbie McCulloch (Head Coach at Spartans WFC) delivered a session focussing on leadership and confidence.

This additional session was an important part of the course prompted by the SSS Women in Sport group, which highlights the need for more opportunities available for females in sport in order to gain the extra confidence required to lead a team. The group acknowledged that along with the specific coaching skillset, the confidence to deliver is a crucial part of the jigsaw.

SSS was keen to take the opportunity to incorporate a ‘Changing Lives’ mindset into the training. The ‘Changing Lives’ mindset focuses on using sport and physical activity to intentionally bring about positive change for individuals and communities.

We caught up with some of the participants on the course to find out what they made of the course.

💬”I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Karen and David were excellent and their passion for the sport came through clearly. The entire day was really engaging and it was great to hear from Debbi McCulloch on her coaching journey!”

💬”I really enjoyed the community atmosphere amongst the group. The course was mainly discussion-based so interaction was key – it was great to hear everyone expressing their views and experiences so openly!”

💬”Growing up, I have mostly only had male football coaches, so I was greatly inspired by the enthusiasm and drive that many of the female students had to become the best coaches they could be.”

💬”The course was delivered in an extremely professional manner and was well planned throughout the entire day. As a young female player, I feel really inspired to begin taking active steps forward into the coaching world. I believe there is a huge future for young aspiring female coaches and I hope to be a part of that.”