ADVANCED SKILL ACQUISITION SHORT COURSE
Expanding your knowledge of the science of coaching and developing your practice in line with the expectations of elite performance and player development.
THE LMA & LCA COACH: ADVANCED SKILL ACQUISITION SHORT COURSE IS A 12-WEEK, 6-MODULE ONLINE PROGRAMME FOCUSED ON CORE ASPECTS OF SKILL ACQUISITION PRINCIPLES AND HOW TO APPLY THESE TO FOOTBALL COACHING.
Delivered in partnership with
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WELCOME.
The LMA and LCA recognises the fundamental role of coaching in the growth and development of the game at all levels. Elite coaching practice in England continues to evolve and is at the forefront of the game’s strategic approach to improving the standard of football in the domestic professional game and at the international level with England’s representative teams, at senior and junior levels.
Our mission is to provide the highest standard of guidance, expertise and resources, equipping our members to succeed at the elite level. In partnership with the St Mary’s University, the LMA & LCA Coach – Advanced Skill Acquisition Short Course represents a new approach to embedding learning and behaviour change within our coaching workforce, specifically around the key subject of skill acquisition.
The LMA and LCA are committed to providing access to vocationally relevant, expert-led programmes to both memberships, including coaches from all backgrounds, to continue to develop their understanding of truly excellent coaching and player development.
Richard Bevan OBE LMA Chief Executive
PROGRAMME OVERVIEW.
The LMA & LCA Coach: Advanced Skill Acquisition Short Course is a 12-week, 6-module online programme focused on core aspects of skill acquisition principles and how to apply these to football coaching.
The programme is intended to be:
ROLE RELEVANT
To the real-life challenges and pressures of managing and coaching in professional football.
ACCESSIBLE
Delivered online with the ability to catch up in your own time.
LMA LEARNING PRINCIPLES.
MORE THAN LECTURES
Using tasks and scenarios for participants to tackle between sessions.
CO-CREATED
Blending cutting edged expertise and research with unique LMA member insights and experiences.
CHALLENGING
Encouraging participants to adopt new ways of thinking and behaving.
WHO.
LMA & LCA members with a minimum up to date, accredited UEFA B Licence.
WHEN.
Starting Wednesday 29th January 2025.
DURATION.
12 weeks (6 x 90min fortnightly sessions - Wednesdays).
TIME.
3pm - 4.30pm.
WHERE.
Online.
ACCREDITATION.
• Accredited by the English FA for 9 hours of CPD
• Accredited by the LMA Institute of Leadership & High Performance
• Participants with 100% engagement (live/on-demand) will receive LMA Institute certificate and CPD hours upon completion
PRICE.
Funded by the LMA & LCA.
COACH OUTCOMES.
The LMA & LCA Coach – Advanced Skill Acquisition Short Course is designed to equip coaches with a deeper understanding of how players develop skill within football and progress coaches along their career development journey in the following ways:
• ENHANCED SELF-AWARENESS
Participants will gain deeper insights into their strengths and areas for development, enabling more effective coaching practices.
• DEVELOPED VOCATIONAL RELEVANCE
Participants will acquire practical skills directly relevant to elite level football coaching and player development.
• BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
The consistency of learning over a 12-week process aims to embed a change in the established daily practices of coaches in their coaching environment.
• STRUCTURED OWNERSHIP
Participants will develop the ability to take structured control of their career growth, taking ownership of their personal and professional trajectory in a supportive environment.
THE LMA PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT MODEL.
The LMA & LCA Coach – Advanced Skill Acquisition Short Course is grounded in the Game pillar of the LMA’s Personal Development Model that provides a simple, holistic overview to the four pillars of personal development that are relevant to coaches and managers in professional football.
The model is underpinned by a blend of academic research and reallife LMA & LCA member experiences, and is aligned with the game’s collective Coach Excellence Framework
YOU focuses on your personal development, encompassing wellbeing. It emphasises the building a strong foundation sustain high performance achieve your ambitions.
THE INDUSTRY explores the wider football landscape and its impact on your role as a football manager. By understanding these external factors, you can make informed adapt to changes and manage in the dynamic environment
YOUR TEAM concentrates on your role and responsibilities as a leader, emphasising the importance of building, managing and inspiring a team for success. By understanding the dynamics of effective leadership and team dynamics, you can guide your team to consistently perform at their best and achieve its goals.
THE GAME focuses on your technical knowledge of football and sporting performance and the framework that shapes this. This pillar equips you with the tools to enhance performance and drive success on the pitch.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE.
The LMA & LCA Coach – Advanced Skill Acquisition Short Course will cover the following six modules (click on the modules to go to their pages):
> 90 minute sessions
> Online – Zoom
> 12 weeks – fortnightly modules / peer-to-peer drop-in sessions
> Tasks and workbooks in-between sessions
> Watch back on the LMA Online Learning Platform
CPD ACCREDITATION:
Accredited hours towards UEFA Licence validation
The LMA & LCA Coach short course is accredited for 9 hours CPD by the English FA.
Date: 29th January 2025
MODULE 1: SKILL ACQUISITION FOUNDATIONS.
INTRODUCTION:
This module introduces this short course and the sports science field of skill acquisition. It will outline how the field of skill acquisition contains concepts that can be applied to football coaching and player development, helping to optimise these key processes to improve outcomes.
SUBJECTS COVERED:
• Course outline, processes and course tasks
• Skill acquisition as a sports science field and support role in sport
• Role of skill acquisition in coaching, player development, and culture processes
YOU WILL LEARN TO:
• Apply acquired knowledge and tools to successfully complete the course
• Describe the field of skill acquisition and its uses
• Evaluate application of the field and concepts into football
Date: 12th February 2025
MODULE 2: SKILL IN FOOTBALL.
INTRODUCTION:
Skill is an essential component of player performance at all levels of the game. This module explores key perceptual-cognitive skills that underpin superior performance and game intelligence in football, such as anticipation and decision making.
SUBJECTS COVERED:
• Perceptual-cognitive skills (Roca et al., 2013)
• Visual scanning (Jordet et al., 2020)
• Anticipation and decision making (Williams & Jackson, 2019)
• Knowledge processes (McPherson & Kernodle, 2003)
YOU WILL LEARN TO:
• Understand the pivotal role of skill in player performance at various levels, exploring key components that contribute to superior game intelligence
Date: 26th February 2025
MODULE 3: SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN FOOTBALL.
INTRODUCTION:
All professional players have played the game since childhood. The football and sport activities they engage in and coaching they experienced in their youth are key factors leading to their expert performances in adulthood. This module will highlight the activities that professional players experienced in their youth and address some of the debates about youth activities.
SUBJECTS COVERED:
• Deliberate practice and play
• Specialization vs. diversification vs. engagement
• Practice design continuum for coaching sessions
• “Grow your own”: Environmental design in youth football
YOU WILL LEARN TO:
• Describe and apply theories and concepts on skill and expertise development to coaching and football players
• Evaluate rules, regulations and systems in relation to theories and concepts from skill acquisition
Date: 12th March 2025
MODULE 4: ADVANCED PRACTICE DESIGN.
INTRODUCTION:
This module explores the pivotal role of effective practice design in coaching, discussing the importance of practice quality for enhanced learning and connecting this concept to notions of optimising challenge.
SUBJECTS COVERED:
• Quality of practice (Hodges & Lohse, 2022)
• Extended challenge-based framework (Hodges & Lohse, 2022)
• Constraints-led approach (Davids et al., 2008)
YOU WILL LEARN TO:
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of effective practice design in coaching, encompassing the optimisation of challenge and the utilisation of a constraints-led approach
Date: 26th March 2025
MODULE 5: ADVANCED COACHING BEHAVIOUR.
INTRODUCTION:
Coaches have a significant influence on skill acquisition, development and achievement of players at all ages. This module explores the role of coach behaviours, especially instruction and feedback, and coach knowledge on player outcomes.
SUBJECTS COVERED:
• Deliberate practice revisited; individualised feedback
• Coaching behaviours: Instruction and feedback
• Coach knowledge structures
YOU WILL LEARN TO:
• Describe and apply practical behavioural knowledge and tools to positively impact the development and achievement of players at all ages
• Evaluate your own coaching using coach behaviour theories and concepts
Date: 9th April 2025
MODULE 6: ADVANCED CONCEPTS IN SKILL ACQUISITION.
INTRODUCTION:
Creative decision-making is a defining factor for high-performance players, enabling them to handle unique situations with ease and leaving opponents guessing about their next moves. This module examines the critical role of creative behaviour and considers how coaches might be able to develop this quality in their players.
SUBJECTS COVERED:
• Creative decision making (Roca et al., 2018)
• Inattentional blindness / breath of attention (Memmert & Furley, 2007)et
• Differential Learning approach (Schöllhorn et al., 2012)
YOU WILL LEARN TO:
• Describe and apply how to foster creative behaviour and use practical strategies to develop this quality in players
OUR EXPERTS.
LMA & LCA Coach is delivered in partnership with St Mary’s University, including the MSc performance football coaching team.
Dr Andre Roca is an associate professor of skill acquisition at St Mary’s University, London. He has published widely on performance in elite sport, skill acquisition, creative decision-making, and coaching practice. Andre has worked extensively in high-performance sport and has coached in professional football academies for two decades.
Dr Paul Ford is a senior lecturer in the school of sport, exercise and applied science at St Mary’s University, primarily teaching on MSc performance football coaching. He is a highly active researcher and consultant in his specialist area of skill acquisition.
DR ANDRE ROCA.
DR PAUL FORD.
MIKE GILHAM. ASHLEY GUMBRELL.
Mike Gilham is a Senior Lecturer at St. Mary’s University and Subject Lead for the Football and Performance Analysis department. Mike also maintains a role at Tottenham Hotspur FC as Southern Area Scout as well as previously coaching within Fulham FC’s academy for seven years.
Ashley Gumbrell is course lead for the performance football coaching MSc and lecturer in football development and coaching at St Mary’s University, has over a decade as a coach educator for the FA/UK coaching and worked across a number of academy settings.
APPLICATION.
To ensure equitable access to the programme, we welcome all applications from LMA and LCA Members who meet or exceed the following criteria:
• LMA / LCA Member
• Holds a valid UEFA B Licence or above
• Demonstrate your commitment to development
The closing date for entries is Wednesday 15th January 2025
• LMA & LCA Coach is designed to accommodate a maximum cohort of 40 people
• Participants who meet the entry requirements and apply within the application window will be accepted onto the short course
• Should course capacity be reached within the initial application window, all eligible participants will be entered into a random ballot
• Unsuccessful applicants will be offered first refusal on next available short course, subject to holding active LMA/LCA membership
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ABOUT THE LMA & LCA.
Based at the National Football Centre, St George’s Park, the League Managers Association (LMA) and League Coaches Association (LCA) traces its history back to 1919. The LMA has been operating in its current structure since 1992, whilst the LCA was formed in 2023 to enhance the holistic support available to coaches, analysts, scouts and technical directors throughout the game
OUR MEMBERS:
Guide our programmes through their lived experience and commitment to the game
GAME KNOWLEDGE:
Through our unique role in football we know the game, its realities and its complexities
OTHER SPORTS:
We have extensive relationships with coaches and performance experts in other sports, always bringing new ideas and challenging our thinking
EXPERTS:
We engage with many of the leading academics and industry experts in leadership, sports performance, wellbeing and personal development
OUR TEAM:
The LMA and LCA team is committed to our members, to continuous improvement and to exceptional delivery
THE STRUCTURE OF THE ADVANCED SKILL ACQUISITION SHORT COURSE WILL ENABLE THOSE TO ENGAGE IN MODERN LEARNING TECHNIQUES, WHILST BEING ABLE TO REFLECT ON THEIR OWN COACHING JOURNEY TO DATE.
Manisha Tailor MBE
LCA Member