Course Structure Overview

In line with the recommendations laid out in the Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) Coaching Strategy (2004), and the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006*, New Zealand Football has shifted the traditional Coach Education ‘goal posts’ adopting a new and exciting approach for developing coaches at all levels in the game. This new approach is founded on the following principles:

Appropriate for New Zealand - reflective of New Zealand’s unique culture and football environment.
Flexible - providing coaches with more choice and a higher degree of ownership in selecting and following their own development pathway.
Player centred – based on the needs of the players and designed to meet the age-related development needs of players throughout the game.
Applicable and practical - ‘on-the job learning’ experiences (creating and recognizing learning experiences in the coaching environment).
Life long learning - promoting continued personal development and self-responsibility for learning.

These changes have been guided by the SPARC Coaching Framework (2005) and signify a shift away from the traditional approach of providing rigid development steps that take coaches on a development journey away from their players’ actual needs. Instead, the new approach will provide a smorgasbord of learning opportunities that allow coaches to identify and access personal development that

corresponds with the players they are coaching and their specific developmental needs. The new Coach Development Framework for 2008 will provide a start in this new direction and in time New Zealand Football will be able to offer coaches operating at all levels in the game a comprehensive collection of development opportunities aimed at facilitating their journey towards coaching excellence.

The courses and development opportunities available in 2008 represent the first stage in New Zealand Football’s construction of a new Coach Development Framework. Additional courses, content and learning opportunities will be added as the Coach development Framework is developed over time.

Coach Development Framework

The New Zealand Football Coach Development Framework provides the structure for delivery of Coach Development within New Zealand. The Framework provides coaches with a wide range of development opportunities that prepare them to effectively meet the age related and developmental needs of the players they work with. Coach development will therefore equip the coach to apply, in a practical context, essential knowledge, skills and understanding to meet the collective and individual needs of their players.

- New Zealand Football Coach Development Framework 2008 (Excel)

The new framework provides coaches with the flexibility to choose their coaching pathway specific to the players they are coaching and to accumulate knowledge and practical skills that will help them to effectively meet the needs of the players they work with. The following framework has been designed to ensure all coaches can embark on development journeys that lead directly to the needs of the players they coach. In 2008 NZF will introduce a number of new courses in the Junior and Youth coaching pathways and will progressively introduce more learning opportunities year on year until the framework depicted above is complete.

Notes:

* Research included the NZF Coach Education Review (June 2006) and CIES – FIFA Project Report (November 2005).