Posted: 24/02/16
Students inspired by football coach Jordan
Aspiring sports coaches in Mansfield have been getting top tips from an industry professional.
Jordan (front, crouching down) watches Sharnnie Wagstaff, 17, prepare to take a penalty against Tanaka Muramba, 18, watched by fellow NVQ Level 2 Activity Leadership students.
Jordan Ferrer, community officer at Mansfield Town FC’s Football in the Community (FITC) programme, visited West Nottinghamshire College this week (Monday 22 February) to teach would-be instructors.
He delivered sessions to learners on its NVQ Level 2 Activity Leadership and BTEC Level 1 Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure courses, looking at the skills and techniques needed to coach primary school children by incorporating different coaching methods.
Jordan said: “I showed them the type of coaching I’d usually deliver in a primary school, along with some of the tricks of the trade on the best way to structure their activities, and the communication skills needed, when working with children.
“The students were very keen to learn and took on board everything I had to say. It’s important for them to see how different people work so they can incorporate various elements into their own sessions and gradually improve their coaching skills, ready for when they enter the industry.”
The 24-year-old joined the football club in 2009 after studying various sports and coaching courses at the college, including the activity leadership NVQ, and is part of the FITC team that coaches thousands of youngsters across the district each year.
He added: “It was great to come back. The facilities have improved dramatically since I was last here, and it’s almost as if I’ve come full-circle – from studying here as a teenager to helping current students get to the next level.”
Tanaka Muramba, 18, from Mansfield, said: “It was really interesting to learn about the principles of coaching and pick up on some of Jordan’s individual methods and techniques. Learning the theory in a classroom is one thing but it’s especially valuable to gain an insight from people who are actually doing the job. I found it really beneficial.”
NVQ sport and coaching tutor Rachael Evans said: “We put a great deal of emphasis on showing students what to expect when they enter the profession, and with Jordan having the type of role that some of them aspire to doing themselves and having studied here only a few years ago, he was the ideal person to teach them.”
