The conditions to "fly"
Darren Moss, FA regional coach mentor officer, and Pedro Miguel, a recent graduate of the UEFA B course, explain how rapport and understanding helped to create a rich learning experience.
FA regional coach mentor, Darren Moss, believes learners on FA courses can “fly” if they are provided with the support they need to learn more about the game as well as themselves.Moss, who delivers the UEFA B and other FA courses, has been tutoring since 2005. Understanding the learner, their needs, ambitions and philosophy in order to offer the right support is central to his approach.
“I like to help and support people, so I need to talk to get to know them,” explains Moss.
“I need to know where they are - and they need to know where they are - in terms of development.
“So, it's about having conversations, going to watch them, providing feedback, giving them things to think about - a few open questions and away you go. People will fly if they've got the right support.”
Moss, who works with mentors in seven counties across the east of England, such as Cambridgeshire and Essex, adds that working with coaches is a shared journey with the tutor providing support and guidance along the way.
“When I talk about my work as a tutor, it’s like the story of a Sherpa and a mountain climber. There's the mountain and the climber wants to get to the top. I know where the pathway is, so I'll be taking some advice from them, but I can feed mine through as we go up.
“Then it's a journey we share and if we get to the summit together that's fantastic, then we start thinking about what's next. So, it's a real shared journey and you grow together.”
He wanted to know what the thought behind that idea was and I think that was key
As a recent graduate of the UEFA B course, Pedro Miguel, former academy analyst at Cambridge United, has shared that learning journey with Moss. However, there were some initial concerns.
“When I went on the UEFA B course, I was scared that someone would format my head in a certain way that wasn’t my way. That was my fear at the start, but that changed as soon as I started working with Darren,” explained Miguel, who has coached at Cambridge University as well as in academy football.
“Darren made me feel comfortable to think for myself. And when I reached that point, I thought ‘you know what, this wasn't what I was expecting - this is even better because this is actually potentiating myself to be better.’ Because I was feeling that way, it was easy for me to relate to him.
“Every time he spoke with me and asked me a question, it wasn’t ‘why did you do that’ in the way that there’s a right or wrong. He wanted to know what the thought behind that idea was and I think that was key.”
Moss believes the in-situ support provided on the course, helped him understand Miguel better.
“To see him work with his team, in his environment, how he coaches the players in front of him, the relationships he forms, all helped me get a picture of the person and the coach and the journey's a two-way street.
“I really coach, support, guide and mentor to where he wants to be and then give pointers and technical input where I think is appropriate.
“I then spent some of the time talking to players - they believed in Pedro, his philosophy and what he was trying to do.
“He’s got good knowledge and through his analysis work he watches a lot of football, but it’s then about being able to transfer that. Saying less or saying more at times to transfer the learning. That's really where it came in.”
Before, when I planned the session, I didn't consider a third of the things that I learned on the course
For Miguel, the course and the learning relationship with Darren, has helped broadened his horizons and encouraged him to consider even more detail in his coaching methods.
“Before the course, when I planned a session, I didn't consider a third of the things that I was told on the course. Now it’s about how you can be more objective, how you can be more specific. You think you’re being specific but maybe you're being specific for yourself, not for your players.
“How can I put on sessions in a way that my players will transfer everything to the game? And how can I create an environment in the sessions that the players can then carry out away from the pitch and into their lives, because my players were students first and athletes after.”
For a genuine change in coaching approach to happen, there needs to be trust and understanding between learner and tutor.
“Building a rapport then equals trust. Then we can start challenging and build that relationship,” explains Moss.
“So, there are times when I questioned him and asked him to either reflect on it, think about it or see if there’s another way - I wouldn't just say ‘well done’. But we have trust, rapport and the understanding that I'm doing it for the right reasons.
“If you build that rapport at the beginning, that's fundamental. Then you can challenge appropriately and effectively, and I think that's a great platform to learn.”