It’s not too difficult to start your journey into football coaching. Although to reach the highest level it takes a lot of work and is usually reserved for those who are already in football circles, to manage a nonleague football team all you need is to take an accessible qualification and the passion to make it happen. Oh, and the skill set, too.
Most Premier League managers are ex-professional footballers who are usually retired. While the on-pitch experience helps, the doors are already wide open for those who have played for a top club. However, this isn’t the only way to become a manager though. It’s also possible to work your way up without playing for a team.
Your role as a nonleague manager will involve nurturing your players, on an individual and team level, in the “four corners” of football: technical, physical, psychological and social. You will, therefore, need to be physically fit, understand the technical and strategic elements of football and excel in emotional perception. For the latter, take the Unibet Perception Test to see how well you do.
Also, to become a qualified football coach, you need to obtain your FA coaching badges. To gain all the FA badges is expensive and time-consuming, but the good news is that there are courses available at different levels, so that you can work your way up.
The first FA course is the only qualification that you need to manage a nonleague football team. It costs around £150 – £200 and requires 32 hours of education in both the theory and practical elements of football coaching. During this course, you will learn about first aid, defense, attack, pass and control, shooting and more. In the end, there will be a 20-minute assessment and oral interview to pass the course.
Once you have your FA Level 1 badge, you can manage a nonleague team. But to advance any further, you will probably need to complete the Level 2 course. Managers at high league clubs will also need to finish the final Level 3 course, too.