Samuels earns UEFA 'A' coaching licence

[Lazie]

Nodley Wright, Gleaner Writer
Former Jamaica youth international, Jerome Samuels, is now the holder of a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) 'A' football coaching licence.

Samuels, who spent his early years in Kingston and attended Vaz Preparatory before migrating to the United States of America, obtained his UEFA 'A' licence through the Irish Football Association.

Armed with the UEFA 'A' licence, Samuels is now one of the most qualified coaches in the region as he is already the holder of the US Soccer Federation 'A' licence.

In football, the UEFA 'A' licence is the highest practical coaching license in the world.

To earn this distinguished licence, Samuels travelled to Europe many times and completed more than 240 hours of training, spanning two years, including extensive on-field assessment, off-the-field course work, match analysis, media relations, theory papers and task analysis by course instructors.

In order to acquire the UEFA 'A' course, candidates are required to demonstrate professional expertise in the managerial, tactical, technical, physical, psychological, nutritional and physiological aspects of the game.

In Europe, the UEFA 'A' licence is the requirement for coaching in the professional leagues in Europe and national teams.

The course was very demanding, but rewarding, and my goal is to take the knowledge gained back home to help improve football in my region," said the man who in February 2010 joined the pool of JFF coaching course instructors and assisted FIFA instructor Rodrigo Kenton on the Advanced Level II Course.

Presently, Samuels lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he serves as a technical director at the United Football Academy and also serves as an assistant coach at Georgia Perimeter College men's team.

His employment situation, he says, will remain the same for at least another six months.

"I am very happy with my current job. I will spend six months looking at all of my options and then next year I will make a decision as to which direction I'd like to go in, whether it be working at a professional club or at the national team level. At the moment I have options, which is a good problem to have," said the 35-year-old.

Prior to becoming a coach, Samuels played football professionally for Notts County F.C. (England division one) and the Atlanta Silverbacks (USA division one).

In Jamaica, he had stints with Harbour View, Real Mona and Village United.

[Mosiah]

what does this really mean?

[Lazie]

what does this really mean?

okay then ...

JFF advanced coaching courses resume today

With clubs, schools and several other teams beginning preparation for the upcoming football season, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) will be staging four coaching courses under the ambit of the JMMB/JFF/UTech Coaching School.

The next Advanced Level I Course will begin today and run through to July 22 at Church Teachers' College, Manchester Road, Mandeville, and is being staged in association with the Manchester FA.

The final Advanced Level I Course for the year will be held at the University of Technology (UTech) from July 25-August 5.

Two Advanced Level II courses are scheduled for August 17-26 and August 23-September 1, respectively.

FIFA instructor, Rodrigo Kenton will be in charge of the technical module of the Advanced Level II course to be held at UTech and the other in association with the Clarendon FA.

Since the launch of the JMMB/JFF/UTech Coaching School in January 2009, close to 400 coaches and aspiring coaches have attended the courses at the two levels.

Drawing attention

As a result of the focus on this critical aspect of the development of the sport, there has been a greater attention to the discipline at all levels of the sport, and the JFF believes that over time this will impact positively on the game.

The JFF's focus has been strengthened as national coaches, some of whom are involved as instructors in the programme, have been exposed to the professional environment arising out of their partnership with different entities in Brazil including Traffic Football Academy.

Coaches Wendell Downswell and Omar Edwards, at the Under-17 level, have been involved in a six-week training camp in Brazil. Andrew Edwards, assistant national Under-20 coach, has also attended a three-week camp.
National senior team head coach, Theodore Whitmore, was exposed to the Brazilian professional environment over a three-week period in March, as well as the pre-Gold Cup training camp with goalkeeping coach Warren Barrett in May.

The JFF has mandated that coaches must have the respective qualification for coaching in the 2011-12 football season:
Advanced Level I (or its approved equivalent) - Manning and daCosta Cup, national Under-21 league, Sherwin Williams Womens League, Super League, Primary and Preparatory school competitions.

Advanced Level II (or its approved equivalent) - National Premier League.
In October, the JFF will review the programme with the aim of strengthening the effort. A calendar for 2012 will be issued at that time.

[Muadib]

well based on current Test form might be a good idea .

[Hortical]

Can we hire him fi coach the U-23 team? Olympic qualifiers coming up soon, and yuh nuh see Mexico send fi dem U-23 team to Copa America. Wha we a do?

[Karl]

Unfortunately - The FIFA course I attended...uninvited in the 70s...I think it was? ...on the grounds of Kingston College...(taught?) introduced ...going off the top of my head - the coaches to psychology, the part nutrition plays, bio-mechanics, human physiology...and other stuff but nothing about actual coaching - shape and movement of TEAM and individuals...aims and how to accomplish same, recognition of 'when things are going wrong' and how to correct same...

...specific exercises targeted to 'how the coach wished performance of TEAM or individual player.'

...it appeared to me to be a colossal waste of time.

All those specialist areas nutrition, etc. I thought and I still think, the coach should turn to the professional in the field.

The coach, I thought and still think, should be an expert in managing the individual player, the TEAM and in a real sense the game. Most of his work must be, I thought and still do, done before his player...his TEAM takes the field.

The game itself that he manages...I thought and still think - should be first approached from a perspective of knowing he has prepared his players as best he can to optimum level...on technical skills, tactical awareness and understanding that all actions must be carried out in best interest of team. So I had expected those areas would have been the focus of the course. No such thing.

Besides the little introduction to psychology (inadequate course work...and inadequate time to come to grips with same) all the other stuff I thought was a waste.

It surely during that time did not teach - impart - anything to help in doing coaching/preparing a player or individual. Nothing...or at most very, very, very little on knowledge to teach the game...or manage a game.

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I have been speaking with some persons who attended courses offered outside of the island, inside the island and even some who teach the JFF courses and although they always speak about the vast amount of knowledge gained from courses they attended...they never can answer on a specific on the how of coaching a player or coaching/managing a game.

What I was amazed to hear in the 'early' days...and I am still hearing but it no longer surprises...was...is lack of mention of challenging the player(s) to act independent to the coach/act on own initiative as a game demands...a recognition of not sticking in an inflexible manner to pre-match instructions. That lack of challenging the player to think and solve problems presented on the field...but to only follow coaches instructions seem to me to be not what successful teaching is all about.

...but then it appears these teachers/coaches are not taught the subject knowledge or even how to teach...????????

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The proof of the pudding is in the eating. ...i.e. performances of so many teams across the island at age-group, parish and NPL levels. ...our results at international club levels - CONCACAF club championships...and the results at the FIFA age-group championships.

The results gained by our national senior teams causes hands to be tossed in the air...as many of the players are being taught outside of the island. Perhaps our slow progress is a result of the foundation gained within the island at those lower levels????

*I was there for the referees' course...and invited myself to a bit of the coaching course.

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Perhaps, some of our trained coaches who are posters can give an insight in what their courses were like?

Aside: I think that FIFA courses at KC were a week's duration.

Yup! ...it was my understanding that all the properly registered attendees when off with their shiny FIFA certs.

...I got my FIFA ref's cert. ...and I can tell we did not hear anything we did not already know.

As fact, the thing that stands out in my mind is my friend John "Bulla John" Richards throwing one of the FIFA lecturers to the ground while giving some demonstration.