UEFA-qualified coaches come to Congleton with gamer cred on the line

By Kevin Glenton

16th Feb 2022 | Local Sport

Youngsters from across the Congleton area will be coached by National League players on February 23.

Local children will be coached the European football governing body's standards in next Wednesday's event.

Vale Juniors Congleton FC has partnered with Multiflex School Sports to bring Altrincham FC players A-Jay Leitch-Smith, Dan Mooney and special guest Ben Pringle to Eaton Bank Academy on Jackson Road.

The coaches - working towards UEFA coaching licence B and C - will learn from the experience of working with children outside the closed ring of the professional club complex.

Ross Speight, from Multiflex, who have a 12 year working relationship with the Congleton club, identified the advantages to all of having a pro deliver the sessions.

Ross Speight of Multiflex School Sports was recently appointed Academy coach at Altrincham FC (Image Credit - Ross Speight)

He said: "It's a top grassroots club at Vale. It's quite refreshing when they [the pros] go in, because they come from a professional background where the mindset is different."

Coaches familiar with academy sessions at pro clubs, where the environment can be harsher, love to witness more of the joy of the game.

Speight said: "[These sessions] are more geared towards fun and improvement…they see the innocence of football again, of just pure enjoyment."

He highlighted that the Football Academy Day will cover all aspects of the game, including 1 v 1, ball-mastery, dribbling and dealing with the specific skills of defending and attacking.

Vale Juniors' chairman and coach Shawn Beardmore is hoping his 15-year-old son Lewis, who plays for the Under 16 Vikings team, will attend.

Beardmore said: "It's great experience for the kids. A-Jay's done a couple of sessions with my lads.

Congleton: Eaton Bank Academy is the centre of activity for Vale Juniors Congleton FC (Image Credit - Ross Speight)

"What the lads pick up, working with a pro or an ex-pro, I can't ever teach them that kind of stuff.

"You can see, straight away, the next game after the session, where they've picked up and try and do what he's been teaching them."

Ross Speight described how the kids' background research of one coach will definitely keep him on his toes when working on shooting.

He said: "A-Jay gets a lot of, 'I found you on FIFA! [the football computer game].'

"He's just like, 'I've never had that before, where kids have gone and found me on a video game'."

UEFA licences are recognised by The FA and are required for those who wish to make it through the managerial pyramid.

Coaches put classroom theory into practise and the hours at Eaton Bank count towards the qualification.

Those like Ben Pringle can expect to work through 120 hours of education, split between study and work experience from foundation level through to elite seniors.

As well as on-field requirements, UEFA B coaches can expect to evaluate social behaviours, understand social media's impact on team cohesion as well as knowing the benefits of good lifestyle habits for player development.

According to the FA, the top UEFA Pro License has been designed for anyone with eyes on a role at the top of the Premier League, Football League, FA Women's Super League and the international game.

It is expected to take more than two years to reach the UEFA Pro License.

Vale Juniors Congleton FC is an FA Charter Standard Community club for boys and girls, preparing for their 40th anniversary celebrations in 2023.