Sino-U.K School Football Project -- 2nd International Foundation Coaching Course, Shanghai

Ladies and Gentlemen

On Monday we came together as a set of strangers, seven days later we are gathered here as friends, united by our passion for teaching and learning and the world game that we all love…football. This course has been a fantastic opportunity for our team of coaching staff to be involved in and we have relished the opportunity to help develop football within the education system here in China.

With the support of Nelson Cheng and the Dr Sun Yi Xian Youth Foundation we hope that we have provided the teachers here today with a wealth of knowledge from our experienced FA coaching team and the English Football Association. However, this learning journey is not exclusive to the teachers, we have also learnt a considerable amount from them, and it is this relationship which has been foster throughout the duration of this course which has made the last seven days such a success.

This is a highly condensed course across seven days, and it is regrettable that out of the initial application of 72 students, only 65 attended the first day registration of the coaching course. Furthermore 2 other students don’t even bother to turn up after the initial registration. I feel that this is a waste of scares resources as these 9 valuable places could have been given to the students who wants to come but were not given a place.

As the course requirements dictate a proficient coaching competency and full attendance of the seven days is required and it is therefore regretful that those candidates not fulfilling this requirement and therefore could not have understand the real meaning of the course and therefore will not have achieved the award.

This week has demonstrated to our team that the 63 coaches have a vast wealth of knowledge and experience, and their willingness to partake and embrace our English teaching methods with such an open mind in all activities will support their learning and development with the young people that they interact with on a daily basis.

All of the coaches have been prepared to engage fully in their learning, and have challenged the players to make decisions for them, change and challenge within practises and of course create an appropriate learning environment. We hope that the environment experienced within both the classroom and pitches, demonstrates how you can influence the learning that takes place, and we have seen through the Student Coaches delivery how a new generation of teaching and learning can take place.

In England we have spent many years realising that it is so important to develop the whole player, and not just work in the technical corner, and we hope this week, that our learning model and our four corner player development model is one that can influence a significant change in the delivery of physical activity within Chinese education, together with the opportunity to embed the game of football within a new culture of sport within the education curriculum.

One of the biggest challenges that we have faced this week is the differences between our two languages and without the support of the translator team, Sean, Aaron, Suki, Rosie, Jonathan, Cecelia, Obama the important messages that we need to share would not have had the same impact. From all of our team thank you.

It has been an absolute pleasure within our group to witness the change in attitude each day from the student coaches, and see the development of coaches, and increasing confidence to deliver engaging football activity. The course this week we hope has raised lots of questions for all the student coaches, which will only be answered when you go back to your school and practise and adapt these sessions and activities to meet the needs of varied age groups and abilities.

We hope that the coaching and teaching this week and the support from us, your instructors will both inspire and enthuse you as teachers to return to your school and try new things. Experiment with confidence! Start to embed our football coaching and teaching methods into your school curriculum programme. You have a real opportunity now to use the hours set aside for physical activity to great effect and introduce the great game of football to your students.

We have been privileged to experience the wonderful sights of Shanghai city, the culture and friendly people.

On behalf of all the coaches here, can I say thank you to all the student coaches for making this such a memorable week, memories that will stay with us forever, and we sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a journey and continued partnership that sees us support you for the future to embed the game of football into a new generation of young people in China, and supports teachers to teach the game with confidence, and in a way that supports young Chinese people to think for themselves, interact socially within small groups, become more athletic, and enjoy the game of football.

Finally on behalf of the FA and our Coaching Team we would like to thank Dr Sun Yi Xian’s Youth Foundation for inviting us here to teach the Second International Foundation Coaching Course. I hope in the not distant future we shall start similar courses in other provinces and cities in China.