FdA Football Development and Coaching

This module offers you a comprehensive understanding of the essential academic skills necessary for successfully completing their undergraduate degree. You will gain insight into the core theoretical frameworks underpinning research methods and academic writing, demonstrating proficiency in data collection and analysis, literature review, sourcing academic resources, and understanding the components of research, including strengths and weaknesses.

By applying broader educational principles, you will have the opportunity to cultivate innovative skills that foster a lifelong ability to solve problems both individually and collaboratively. These skills are instrumental in promoting inclusive socio-economic development, sustaining communities, and promoting the fundamental concepts of equity, health, and wellbeing. 

This module provides a broad understanding of learning theories and coaching styles in a variety of football related environments. You will learn the underlying theoretical concepts of how to plan, deliver, evaluate and modify football coaching sessions, whilst demonstrating the importance of safeguarding and risk assessments. You will work effectively on complex coaching sessions and understand the health and safety considerations, whilst working individually and as a group to enhance your interpersonal and communications skills. 

This module aims to introduce key theoretical scientific concepts for sport and exercise physiology, biomechanics and psychology. You will use problem-solving skills to apply this knowledge to fundamental practical scenarios and develop practice-led learning and co-leadership while working with participants. Content will cover core principles of human movement, health and wellbeing and athletic performance, and how to measure these topics in a specialist lab environment. You will also cover basic sport psychology ideas and practices. 

This module aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts of football as an engagement tool to support local and national policy and strategies. You will explore roles within the football development sector and the FA in delivering football associated projects and achieving wider outcomes related to health, education, social inclusion and community development. You will identify how to apply for funding and implement, deliver and evaluate community football projects. 

This module will provide you with a detailed theoretical knowledge of performance analysis and psychological concepts and practical skills to work as an applied practitioner. Learning to collect, analyse and present relevant performance-related data to understand how performance analysis and psychological skills can be utilised in sport and exercise. You will learn the roles and responsibilities of the performance analyst and sport psychologist, developing and adapting interpersonal and communication skills to a range of sporting scenarios and audiences. 

The aim of this module is to practically explore and investigate a range of coaching theories and concepts. Through practical activities you will analyse the performance of others and adapt your communication to different situations. To create an extensive provision of football sessions and coaching materials that examines and encourages progression and development of teaching and coaching skills. You will also explore and analyse different formations and strategies within the 11v11 format. Through the work based learning programme, you will complete 50 hours of relevant industry experience. 

This module will provide you with the skills to analyse a range of academic information, comparing alternative methods and techniques. This will involve collecting and synthesising this information to inform a subject specific research question. You will have knowledge of well-established research methods and concepts evidenced by the awareness of inconsistencies, gaps, and limitations within literature. 

This module will elaborate and expand upon knowledge gained from SES1944. You will examine a range of underrepresented groups in detail including researching what barriers they face in taking part in physical activity. You will also investigate a range of current social issues in sport. 

You will research and apply the latest government policies, NGB strategies, research and statistical data to support the rationale for a funded football project. You will identify some core sports marketing concepts including sponsorship, the marketing mix and promotion. You will also demonstrate how to monitor and evaluate projects and implement a Theory of Change to your project idea. 

You will be studying at our at our Hendon Campus, and have access to our new West Stand facility at Stonex Stadium, Hendon. You'll also spend some of your time at the Cedars Youth & Community Centre in Harrow and have access to our world-class facilities at the London Sports Institute.

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study. 

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions. Part-time classes are normally scheduled on one or two days per week, details of which can be obtained from the course leader. 

Year 1 - weekly timetable

You will have 12 hours of seminars, practical and lab sessions per week.

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and practical exams.

Here is a guide as to how you will spend your time.

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop the skills relevant to your degree from research and practical skills to critical thinking. Our Sheppard Library is open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Sunday during term time. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus, even over the weekend.

We'll test your understanding and progress with informal and formal tests.

The informal tests usually take place at least once per module, from which you’ll receive feedback from your tutor. The grades from these tests don’t count towards your final marks.

There are formal assessments for each module, usually at the end, which will count towards your module and your final marks.

Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback or feedback from an external examiner.

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.