Youth Football Coaching: Developing Creative Players (FutureLearn)

The ability to think creatively in sport is often noted by coaches as being highly desirable. Described as ‘flexible decision making in complex game situations’, football youth coaches often refer to creative players in terms of imagination, originality, productivity and problem solving skills. Yet, while coaches are tasked with creating environments that foster creativity, there remains some confusion about the term, its application to the game, and the role of the coach in coaching creativity.
This course will be the first of its kind in focusing on youth football coaches. Delivered through a collaborative partnership between the University of Birmingham and The Football Association (FA) it will help you become a confident developer of creative players and teams.

Explore the role of the coach in developing creative youth football players
This course will help you understand your role as coach, the players you work with and the environment they operate in. It will develop your knowledge and skills giving you the ability to self-select or create the most appropriate pedagogies for young players’ needs.

Learn how to promote creativity in your team
On the course examine and evaluate the different types of practice that promote creativity in football. You’ll learn the value of creative players and learn how to apply creative-development practices to your coaching.

Try a new flexible, interactive type of CPD from experts in youth sport
This is the first online course about youth sport. It aligns with the growing focus on sport coaches as significant community assets and is delivered by an expert national governing body and course team in the field. The course will bridge unique gaps in policy, practice and research to design useful learning experience for youth coaches. You’ll learn in new interesting and interactive ways and explore how digital tools can help ongoing professional development.