APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2018 , Vol . 2
Reflections on a Conversation with a National Coach : The Learning Path from
Novice to Expert
Pete Vallance
England Futsal , The Football Association
Abstract This article explores how a national coach engaged effectively with their professional development and implemented learning opportunities into a coaching context . It evaluates the effects of formal , informal and experiential learning on their progression from novice to national coach and their contribution to creative approaches to coaching . The learning journey of Pete Sturgess , The Football Association ’ s ( FA ) National Lead Coach for The FA Foundation Phase ( children from 5 – 11 years ), is used as a case study and reviewed in relation to applicable coach development research . As well as a recognised expert in The FA ’ s Foundation Phase , Pete is a renowned England and FIFA Futsal Instructor , a Coach Educator and has been heavily involved in developing the England DNA resources ( which outline the playing and coaching philosophy of England football teams ).
Introduction
“ I still remember his name now – Nathan . He was in my son ’ s U11s grassroots team and I was doing some work , coaching them . He turned around to me one night and said ‘ Pete , this is boring !’ And I just thought – you know what , you ’ re right .”
There are many learning opportunities in the pathway to becoming an expert coach . But can we always identify them ? Or do we value some forms of learning more than others ? I , and others , subscribe to the view that learning isn ’ t linear . It is diverse , messy and often unexpected . Yet many of our formal coaching courses are based on progressing sequentially from the lowest qualification to the highest . In a quest to explore the effects of different types of learning on a development pathway , I interviewed , in 2016 ,
18