U23 Head Coach – Arsenal

Arsenal Football Academy is the football development department for Arsenal Football Club, based at Hale End Sports Ground and London Colney, offering a full-time football training programme for elite youth players. The Academy has for many years been a world leader in its field. Its aim is to individually tailor each player’s development as a footballer by providing a world class youth development programme. The programme promotes the development of elite training environments to consistently outperform international competition. By placing players at the heart of the programme, the aim is to develop and grow Strong Young Gunners, within the most challenging and caring football academy in the world. Each player’s development is therefore considered holistically with focus placed on supporting players to show respect, discipline and humility as they aspire towards becoming better people and consequently, better players.

We are searching for an U23 Head Coach to lead an effective and successful coaching programme for the Academy’s U23 squad. The successful candidate will deliver and develop performance pathways and plans, creating an optimum environment for Professional Development Phase players to develop and grow, with the biggest focus being on the four pillars: creating effective team players, lifelong learners, most efficient movers, and a champion mentality. In their day-to-day role, the U23 Head Coach will promote exercise compliance, safe training practices and the benefits of sport & fitness to Professional Development Phase players. They will also:

• Lead players to develop and coordinate all individual and team training sessions – catering for the needs of the players both individually and collectively in order to maximise the potential of all our players in this age group.
• Ensure each and every U23 player’s potential is realised and maximised, through effective mentorship, training and holistic development that draws on the multi-disciplinary Academy structure.
• Effectively lead U23 squad sessions and games with the ultimate aim of achieving team sporting success and individual high performance.
• Work collaboratively with First Team coaching infrastructure and Loans Management staff to ensure seamless communication and an active Academy pipeline into the First Team.
• Work with the Head of Academy Coaching to comply with PL, FA and EPPP rules and requirements – ensuring that PMA is kept up to date.
• Ensure accurate and effectively documented individual player review meetings.
• Work closely with the performance, analysis, psychology and operations support staff, facilitating and leading MDT approach to player development.
• Assist Head of Academy Coaching in providing a CPD programme for Academy coaches.
• Hold responsibility for ensuring that appropriate sessions are implemented to cater for all players and demonstrate a progressive and transparent structure for all players to progress.
• Provide a reporting platform to give constructive feedback at the end of each term for players and to work with the relevant phase coaching team to implement.
• Create and implement a comprehensive high performance coaching curriculum for the Professional Development Phase, alongside Head of Academy Coaching.
• As an active member of the youth squad selection team, analyse the skills and capabilities of individual players through player progress meetings.
• Undertake ad hoc additional coaching duties as and when required (for example, within other phase groups).

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications:

• UEFA A Licence (essential)
• FA Advanced Youth Award for Coaching (17-23)
• First Aid Certification
• FA Safeguarding Certificate (up to date)
• Qualified FA Coach Education Tutor (desirable only)

The successful applicant will be required to complete a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Specific Experience:

• Significant and demonstrable experience of coaching elite football players to individual potential and team success
• Demonstrable experience of working for and with an elite Academy of players of this age group
• Competent IT skills
• Proven EPPP knowledge and experience of using the PMA
• Previous experience of coaching players at youth level who have progressed to play professional football in the Premier League or football league

Abilities/Skills/Knowledge:

• Able to work as part of a coaching team and within the guidelines set by the Academy Manager
• Acts as a role model at all times, embodying the Academy’s values of discipline, humility and respect, and wider Club values
• Able to build a strong rapport with the players in the age range
• Able to set realistic goals for the players and the team with the head coach
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Motivated and driven individual
• Commitment and passion for the game
• Awareness of how to develop players
• Able to demonstrate the technical aspects of the game within the AFC training programme
• Able to communicate key technical messages in coaching session

To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV and a covering note of no more than one page, at your earliest convenience and before Thursday 1 July 2021.

MORE INFO HERE

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