From athlete to coach
A footballer who has played in the Finnish top leagues has graduated from “a university of the sport” as an athlete. Utilising such a player’s accumulated know-how is valuable in many ways to the athlete, the sport and Finnish sports in general.
The From athlete to coach (URVA) training programme arose from the need to train athletes whose careers at the top had ended and turn them into coaches—or at least create the foundation through the studies. The training time is tailored separately for each trainee together with the sport federations.
The aim is that after completing the studies the athlete, among other things:
- has found a useful perspective towards coaching through his or her own career
- masters the basic skills of learning and teaching
- understands the foundations of the programming of coaching
- is familiar with the principles of the operating mechanism of human physiology and biomechanics
The studies include classroom studies, remote studies and practical coaching training. Through the six-month process, the students get a powerful package for becoming coaches.
The training is organised in cooperation with the Varala Sports Institute. Classroom periods are organised at Varala.
The content framework of the classroom periods is as follows:
1. Classroom period
- Grouping
- From athlete to coach, analysing one’s own career through new eyes - aiming towards a coach’s mindset
- Teaching and learning
- Coaching studies in theory and practice
2. Classroom period
- Cornerstones of coaching
- Development of physical properties
- Teaching and learning skills
3. Classroom period
- Personal coaching philosophy and interaction skills
- Competence-based examinations and assessments
4. Classroom period
- Seminar for presenting the final projects
Read more on the Suomen Valmentajat ry site.
