SPOTLIGHT ON IRISH FA PRIMARY SCHOOLS COACH JENNA GOODMAN

By Richard McMeekin

The Irish Football Association has teamed up with the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) and the GAA on an extremely exciting initiative aimed at pupils in our Primary Schools.

Funded by DENI, it is aimed at using the relevant sports expertise to help support and compliment existing current Physical Education programmes within the Primary Sector.

Now in its second year of operation, the programme involves the deployment of 30 full-time IFA coaches into over 250 schools and around 750 separate classes where they are directly coaching approximately 15,000 Primary School children.

Lee Carroll, Head of the Grassroots Football at the IFA, said: “This exciting programme recognises the power of sport, and in particular football, to be the vehicle and means to help improve many facets of our children’s physical and social development.  This is an excellent opportunity to capture the enthusiasm and interest of children at Primary Schools and will hopefully generate a passion in them to continue and develop their sporting careers. It is hoped that long-term, this will help shape their lifestyles in a positive manner as they become young adults.”   

Jenna Goodman is the Irish FA’s Primary Schools Coach for the Ballymena area.  Jenna enjoys playing football at a recreational level and played for the university team when studying at Stranmills, where she gained a primary P.E. qualification.  We chat to her to find out why she decided to become a Primary Schools Coach and to learn a bit about what her job involves.

SPOTLIGHT ON JENNA GOODMAN

Can you tell us a bit about what your job as an Irish FA Primary Schools Coach involves?  My job involves teaching P1 – P4 pupils, coaching in fundamental movement skills then progressing onto football specific skills. Another area of the job is to liaise with teachers giving them more self-confidence in coaching and taking P.E.

What would a typical day as a Primary Schools Coach involve?  In the morning it involves coaching at a school (three or four classes) between 9.30am and 12pm, and then the same between 1pm and 3pm maybe at a different school.

What made you decide to become a Primary Schools Coach? I really enjoy football and when I saw that I had the qualifications and the skills needed I thought it looked like a perfect job.

The Programme is part of the Irish FA’s Grassroots Development Plan – how important a role do you think the Programme and the Primary Schools Coaches play in the overall development of grassroots football in Northern Ireland?  I think it’s more important than top football.  If you don’t have grassroots then children won’t be able to progress to the top and we need to help create and develop players.  You need this foundation in place to ensure the future of the game.

What would you say is the most important part of the Programme?  I would say, the self confidence which it builds in the pupils is very important, as a lot of them can do the training but just don’t think they can.  This is something I have found in the areas I work in.  The teacher coaching is also key as the coaches can’t be there all the time, so the Programme helps the teacher take on board things which they can use in other P.E. classes as well as during the school year.

What do you enjoy most about your job?  It’s a lot of fun. Not like a normal job.

What has the Programme feedback been like from both pupils and teachers?  They love it. Teachers especially, as they like seeing the different techniques involved and the different games and they can then use some of the coaching aspects in their lessons. Also the children come back each week and are really excited about the coaching sessions and they always seem to have loads of fun.