The Foundation Phase – A stepping stone, or a Specialisation?

Is the Foundation Phase just seen as a gateway to further career job prospects and if so this article looks to ask the question “is the Foundation Phase a stepping stone, or a specialisation”?  

From past and present experiences working in the former boys Centre of Excellence's, the FA Girls Regional Talent Club system and then later on with the Boys EPPP Academy, a reoccurring theme seems to keep coming about, a desire to progress beyond the foundation Phase, so why is this? From my own experiences further qualifications and progressing down the coaching pathway is defiantly one reason, for coaches to want to leave the Foundation Phase.

At one stage the UEFA B licence when run nationally out of St Georges Park wasn’t accessible to Foundation Phase coaches, yet to work in the boys Academy system needed you to hold UEFA B licence classification.  To gain access to the UEFA A Licence requires you to be working 11v11, as the Foundation Phase tends to only go up to a 9v9 format, progressing down the FA’s coaching pathway, coaches may have to be working within the Development Phase.

There is also a definite lure for coaches to want to be working at 11v11. Is this because it’s closer to the real thing that we see on a Saturday at 3pm, the tactics that we see Guardiola, or Klopp deploying in Premier league and somehow we could replicate them with our U14’s Academy side. Is the pipe dream for all coaches to end up working in the professional game, after all that’s where the big money is? Unfortunately there’s not room for all of us that start out on our coaching journeys to end up earning tens of thousands of pounds from the game.

Is it still often the case that it’s seen that the best coaches work at the higher end of game, working with our eldest players? Is your ability as a coach judged on how you work with tactics around the 11v11 game? Surely we could draw parallels with the teaching profession. Are Secondary schools teachers seen as better than primary school teachers, purely because they work with older children. Some people within the teaching profession would suggest so, but if those seeds aren’t planted at a young age and a good foundation isn’t built, then these children/players will never reach their full potential.

I was recently introduced to the new first team manager at our club as our Foundation Phase Lead and his response was “you’ve got a tough job!” For some that have played and managed within the game the thought or trying to cajole a group of giddy U9’s into doing what they want is a daunting prospect. It’s interesting to see how many of my counterparts at other clubs have taken similar routes to myself and in a lot of cases never played a professional game in their life! So where are these skills honed to become an elite 5-11's coach. In conversations with my peers many seem to have taken similar routes. Working in community schemes and predominantly in Primary schools. Organising a class of 30 children in PE lessons and after school clubs takes some doing.

Dealing with the unexpected such as adjusting your session last minute, because the heavens open and you have been given seconds to set up your session in a tiny school hall, that contains a Christmas tree and stage set up for the annual nativity play. Or delivering a well thought out session only to find half the class having to leave for interventions. Years of working like this and understanding the needs and demands of primary school children and taking this knowledge and applying it within academy settings. Lots of failed attempts reviewing what went well and what you would change next time, lots of moments where the kids ran circles round you and you couldn’t wait to bundle your kit into a clapped out car and escape. These are the moments where you would go again the next day and slowly grow as a coach.

Could it also be argued that the U8’s Pre academy sides are the most important age groups within our academies? For the wrong players to be selected at for U9’s ie the age old big lad that scores for fun, rather than his more technical peer, could result in time and money being wasted working with the wrong players. Does a good Foundation Phase Coach know what they’re looking for from our youngest players? Efficient physical movements and ability with the ball at their feet, over how effective they are at physically dominating their opponent.

Whilst the Foundation Phase maybe seen as a stepping stone by some to reach further qualifications, or future job prospects, or even coaches that may have allusions of grandeur and see themselves standing on the touchline opposite Mauricio Pochettino years down the line. For me a good Foundation Phase coach is a specialist and one that shouldn’t be discounted as a lesser coach. To be able to develop our youngest players and develop great physical and technical base, whilst fostering a love of the game is a skill and one that should be held in high regard.