UEFA coach education conference: Turning learning into long-term action

Football is rapidly evolving, shaped by new tactical and physical trends as well as advances in technology. That means a coach's development must continue beyond the awarding of their qualifications.

Helping coaches become continuous learners was at the heart of the 15th UEFA Coach Education Conference, which welcomed 160 coach education leaders, senior educators and football development specialists from across Europe.

"Football is constantly changing," said Lise Klaveness, a UEFA Executive Committee member, president of the Norwegian Football Federation and chair of UEFA’s Development and Technical Assistance Committee.

"No course, no diploma and no educator can provide all the answers a coach will need throughout their career, so we have to equip them to become continuous learners."

Over three days, participants examined how national associations can turn that ambition into practical coach development, exploring learning and behavioural change, the use of assessment as a development tool, the evolving role of coach educators and the opportunities created by technology.

Better-supported coach educators can improve the programmes delivered by national associations. Those programmes can then help coaches become more reflective, adaptable and effective, creating stronger learning environments for players at every level of the game.

As Zoran Laković, UEFA deputy general secretary for international affairs, said: "The 15th UEFA Coach Educator Conference brought people together – educators working together, learning from each other, exchanging ideas and challenging each other, with fresh thinking and fresh approaches – all to further strengthen coach education across Europe, making better coaches, better players, better people and an even better game."

From information to lasting change

A recurring theme in Rome was the difference between providing information and creating learning – coach education is not simply about passing on knowledge. To have a lasting effect, it must help coaches reflect, understand why change is necessary and apply new ideas to training and match environments.

"The best people in coach education are not necessarily the people who have all the answers," said Klaveness. "I think it’s people who ask the best questions, challenging your own assumptions and generally enjoying learning from others."

That principle influenced both the conference content and its design. Café-style seating, workshops, breakout sessions and open discussions encouraged participants to learn with and from one another, rather than simply listen to a series of presentations. 

Café-style seating was in place at the conference, encouraging interaction and idea exchangeUEFA via Getty Images

A workshop led by learning and behaviour-change specialist Julie Dirksen examined how education can connect new knowledge with the needs, values and challenges that matter most to participants.

"Our work is about making sure we’re really connecting to what people care about," she said. "As long as coaches can see a connection between what they’re being asked to learn and their concerns, their values and the things they care about, then everything is going to go a lot better."

For coaches, that "why" is essential. Learning becomes meaningful when it helps them address real situations, make better decisions and create optimal experiences for their players.

Developing the people who develop coaches

The conference also placed particular emphasis on the people responsible for supporting coaches. 

Sessions considered the competencies required by modern educators and how national associations can recruit and develop an effective workforce.

"With great coach education comes great responsibility," said UEFA chief of football development Olivier Doglia. "A responsibility to develop better players, but more importantly better people. A responsibility to create positive learning environments, and a responsibility to inspire future generations to ensure football remains a force for good."

The potential reach of that work is significant. One educator may influence numerous coaches, while each of those coaches can shape the experiences of hundreds, if not thousands of players throughout their career.

"You might not be the one who will be known as the winning champion, but you will educate the coaches who might," Italian Football Federation (FIGC) general secretary Marco Brunelli told participants. "And you educate the coaches who will influence millions of children and young people across Europe." 

Learning across European football

European cooperation does not mean producing coaches who all think or work in the same way.

Participants arrived on the opening day wearing their countries’ national team shirts, offering visual representation of the different cultures, traditions and experiences within European football, with further discussion about the coaching icons and ideas that have shaped the game in each country.

Attendees were invited to wear their national team's shirt on the opening dayUEFA via Getty Images

The message was one of shared learning while preserving distinct national identities.

"We should have no aim of producing coaches who think alike," said Klaveness. "I think it is an asset that we’re different. We should develop coaches who are capable of thinking for themselves within our cultures."

That exchange continued through workshops on the challenges facing coach educators across Europe. Topics ranged from football’s technological evolution and artificial intelligence to recruiting more female coaches, helping coaches perform under pressure and developing practical communities in which knowledge can be shared.

Turning ideas into action

The conference concluded by asking attendees to convert their learning into clear commitments.

Through a commitment map exercise, participants identified practices they would introduce, maintain or reconsider within their national systems. The UEFA Share programme and follow-up visits by the UEFA Jira Panel will support the implementation of those action plans to ensure momentum continues beyond the Rome event.

The commitment mapUEFA via Getty Images

The impact of the conference will therefore be measured in the coming months and years – in how national associations improve their programmes, how coach educators support learning and in how coaches keep adapting throughout their careers.

Better-supported educators help create better-supported coaches. In turn, those coaches will provide more positive, effective and inspiring environments for players, strengthening football across Europe for years to come.