Feb 8-11, 2016 marked the first ever OSA Technical Directors Diploma geared towards current Technical Directors, Club Head Coaches, and Coaches looking to make the jump to becoming a Technical Director.
The course was 4 action packed days and huge credit has to go to, Mark Marshall and Bobby Lennox who not only helped build the course but also instructed different components throughout the Four Days.
Reflections on the Course:
Coach Education: Huge strides are being made in the coach education department as the higher level courses are evolving to create a better environment and development opportunity. Changes to the Provincial C and Provincial B license will now better prepare coaches for the rigours of the National B License.
Player Pathway: What once looked like a very long journey to have a complete player pathway is now not too far away! With OPDL expanding to U15 this year and League 1 already in place we are a couple of years away from clubs being able to offer High Performance Pathways for their members in their clubs and districts so a player can now truly start at one club and complete their youth soccer journey at the same club.
Standards and Professionalism: Courses like the OSA TD Diploma, League 1, OPDL all have two common themes which is the introduction of standards into the workplace and increased professionalism. This course for example is mandatory for all OPDL Technical Directors within the 2016 year. With 8 clubs represented in the room in February, the November course will have many more.
Peer to Peer Learning: Probably the best aspect of the course was the opportunity to interact with peers from across the province and learn from them. There was a great deal of collaboration throughout the 4 days as we were consciously placed on different tables each day to increase the number of TD’s we interacted with along with many group activities. It was great to connect and share experiences with others who understand some of the different challenges TD’s face on a day to day basis.
Lessons from Outside the Game: The speakers we had from outside the technical side of the game were wonderful. With lectures on Communication, Leadership, Finances/Budgeting, Presentation Skills, Holistic Youth Development, Dealing with Non-Profit Boards, a number of key areas were covered to help provide us with more information to use in our daily professional lives.
Summary:
Just to summarize briefly, the 4 days were action packed and extremely educational. I have come away from the course very happy to have had the opportunity to be a part of the pilot for this Course that will help shape current and future Technical Directors throughout the province.