PERFORMANCE HABITS: COACHES
Performance Habits is a guided self-help programme designed to assist academy footballers develop healthy routines and schedules that improve and optimise mental wellbeing and performance. The role of the Performance Habits Coach is to guide the player to work through the 5 stages of the programme through a number of contact sessions delivered over the telephone or video call.
See more here: https://youtu.be/H-oh9tvpvGg
The programme can be delivered by current or former professional footballers who have completed the Performance Habits Coach Training and have ongoing supervision from members of the Performance Habits Team.
The programme is designed to be delivered by people from a wide range of backgrounds. You do not need to be a mental health practitioner. Performance Habits Coaches need to have experience of being in a professional football academy, have good interpersonal skills, and be warm, open, and caring in their interaction with the player they are working with. This approach must be balanced against the need to maintain professional boundaries. The role of the Coach is to form a supportive, professional relationship with the player they are working with. Performance Habits is not a befriending intervention.
Performance Habits Coach training is delivered in online workshops by world-leading experts in men’s health and behavioural activation. Training is currently free and takes place over three days. Following the training, Coaches undertake a bespoke assessment in the form of a role play and are then required to undertake an enhanced DBS check. Once trained, Performance Habits Coaches will be allocated an academy player to support but will not work alone. Support is provided from the Performance Habits Team and there is always a specialist available to consult in the event of any concerns.
For each player you’re allocated, being a Performance Habits Coach will take between 30 minutes and an hour of your time on a weekly or fortnightly basis. This can be decided between yourself and the person you are coaching. Up to six sessions can be offered. The time spent includes speaking to an academy player on the phone/video call, plus time spent preparing and note taking. Calls can be scheduled at most times of the day/evening. Depending on availability, there may be options to coach more than one player at a time.
Contact the programme leader, Prof. Paul Galdas, at [email protected] to find out about forthcoming training dates.
Signing up to do the training doesn't formally commit you to anything. Training is currently being offered for free and if you decide that this isn't for you at a later date due to any reason, there's no problem.
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