Deadline to grab golden opportunity

After successfully providing individual league bursaries to support UEFA B students for a number of seasons, the EVO-STIK League is set to score another national first this summer with the launch of a stand alone and heavily subsidised programme dedicated to the competition’s managers and coaches.

With only 24 places available on the only course of its kind in the country after the EVO-STIK League teamed up with the West Riding County FA to launch the inaugural programme, potential candidates were set a deadline of 5pm on Friday 27 April to apply when the timetable and venue were confirmed by delighted officials last week.

The third of three major coaching development initiatives launched this season in partnership with the West Riding County FA to keep raising standards of excellence during the NPL’s historic 50th anniversary season, successful candidates will only pay a one off registration fee of £150 for the entire course which kicks off on Wednesday 25 July and will be delivered in three more two day blocks at the county FA’s base in Woodlesford near Leeds over the course of the 2018-19 season.

Pre-requisites for registration include an FA Level 2 in Coaching Football and NPL coaching development officer Mark Ogley said: “It’s fantastic news that the NPL in partnership with the FA and WRFA have finally been able to offer the coaches in the management teams at our clubs the opportunity to progress to the UEFA B standard and ultimately improve coaching standards at our level.

“We have been patient, while our stand-alone UEFA B course, subsidised by the NPL for our candidates, was accepted by the FA and the finer details of dates, staffing and venue were finally confirmed. So really, it’s now up to the coaches to come forward and grasp an opportunity that is not being offered by any other league.

“We have had many successes funding candidates on UEFA B courses over the years and the league wants our own course to be the start of continued coach funding moving forward. So I would urge candidates to take advantage of this initiative to benefit from an unforgettable and knowledgeable experience, which both you as the coach and your current and future players will benefit from at our level and beyond.”

Confirmation of the NPL’s new UEFA B course comes ahead of the competition's first ever 'Coaching Performance Day' in partnership with the West Riding FA in July and after an inaugural 'Coaching Development Day' at the county FA’s base in February attended by coaches and managers from all 68 member clubs.

NPL chairman Mark Harris said: “The Northern Premier League is proud to be investing in the future of the clubs and people who make up our great competition during our milestone anniversary season and beyond. The UEFA B course in particular is a fantastic opportunity for our coaches and managers to progress their qualifications alongside NPL colleagues as we continue raising standards of excellence.”

For more information on the UEFA B course, timetabling and pre-requisites for registration, coaches should contact their club secretaries who have also been sent application forms. Completed applications should be returned to EVO-STIK League secretary Angie Firth at afirth@evostikleague.co.uk by 5pm on Friday 27 April. Alternatively, contact Mark Ogley for more information at: ogsshae@hotmail.com.

For more information on the West Riding FA and its work visit: www.westridingfa.com.

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