The FA Tesco Skills Programme was set up by The FA in 2007, funded by Tesco and Sport England to try and encourage the development of fundamental skills and encouraging creativity with good technical delivery in 5-11 year olds. In 2008 The FA Tesco Skills Programme expanded to 106 skills coaches across 26 selected Counties.
All FA Tesco Skills Coaches are specially trained to be able to understand how 5-11 year olds learn, what they enjoy and how best to help the children in their sessions develop to the best of their ability. In Bedfordshire, we have three members of the team who have completed their FA Youth Award modules 1, 2 and 3 with our fourth member hoping to complete the FAYA module 3 in 2012.
The team were put together in October 2008 and have been working hard to establish 5 FA Tesco Skills Centres across Bedfordshire, supporting local schools and charter standard clubs, whilst also helping guide and develop local coaches and running free holiday sessions during the school breaks.
Bedfordshire’s Team Leader, Steve Maker says, “since 2008 we have been working hard with the children, coaches and teachers who have been involved in The FA Tesco Skills Programme to develop the basic fundamentals of sport as well as creativity, confidence, technique, understanding and social skills. We are pleased with the impact so far and are looking forward to the next few years to continue to build on the current success of The FA Tesco Skills Programme in Bedfordshire.”
In 2011 we also saw the launch of the new FA Tesco Skills Website www.TheFA.com/Tescoskills and the rebrand of The FA Tesco Skills Programme to represent the four corner model that the coaches use in every aspect of their work.
Our aim comes from The Future Game document (2011). It is; ‘To produce technically excellent and innovative players, with exceptional decision making skills.’
The tabs to the left explain more about what The FA Tesco Skills Programme does in each area of our delivery, with contact details and relevant information available for each tab. If you are a coach or teacher and would like information relevant to the delivery of football you may like to check out our coaches’ corner, skills coaching video links and Skills Centre newsletters.
These give session ideas and information that we distribute to players and parents involved in our skills centres to help them improve and think about other aspects of their development.
If you have any questions or wish to become involved in The FA Tesco Skills Programme in Bedfordshire then please contact FA Tesco Skills Programme Team Leader, Steve Maker on stephen.maker@TheFA.com or on 07943 862302.
For videos, tips, ideas and more information on The FA Tesco Skills Programme please visit www.TheFA.com/Tescoskills