 Having submitted my application for the highest Grassroots coaching award back in May this year, I was delighted to be accepted onto the UEFA B Level 3 coaching through the Royal Navy FA in Portsmouth. Alongside seven fellow coaches from Jersey, as part of our pre-coursework we were asked to complete a section of work named "My Coaching Journey" that involves some personal milestones (in and out of football) whereby looking back at life lessons learnt and how these may influence our own coaching philosophy and values. Below you will see the first half instalment of my personal Coaching Journey.  1995 - Finished Secondary School 1996 - Finished Highlands College / Started full time employment 2001 - Dad diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) 2002 - Travelled to Thailand, Singapore, Bali and Australia 2003 - Dad passed away / Met Jade 2005 - Travelled Fiji, N & Australia. Started work in Children’s Service. Proposed to Jade 2008 - Married Jade 2009 - Moved to Melbourne, Australia 2010 - Returned to Jersey, lots had changed 2011 - Family planning, returned to Finance Sector 2012 - Ziva was born 2013 - Left Finance Sector, Horrible experience, joined Back to Work at Social Security - Launched Game Sense Soccer Coaching (9 kids) 2014 - Brought our first home, Lani was born 2015 - Ziva started Nursery, Formed Charter Standard Club GS United FC in January 2016 - Ziva started School 2017 - Lani started Nursery 2018 - 10th Wedding Anniversary, Lani joined Pre-School Nursery at Ziva’s School 
  I got involved in coaching from a young age through my passion for the game and wanting to learn more about it. I loved talked football with my coach and understanding tactics and different positions from the age of 14. The older I got, the more I learnt and the more I realised that my real passion is about child development. Helping young people learn something new, succeed in a new tasks, a new skill, to recognise a problem and overcome it. Guiding young people achieve something they never thought they could, to support them grow in confidence, increase their self-esteem and believe in themselves is an absolute privilege and it keeps me coming back for more.  Being so long ago I don’t really remember my actual first coaching session. As I had been working with Micky Porter for a good period of time, my first memory of taking the group was when he went in for a hip operation and therefore I ensured we had continuity of practice and completed the remaining games program for the season. Session wise we keep things similar that included possession football, rondo’s and a match to finish. My first memory of feeling very nervous was actually the first competitive game I covered with the group down at FB Fields. So much thinking the night before, planning the team, trying to remember the key messages to provide in the pre-match team talk, trying to make sure all players and parents were happy. Trying to time the substitutions and manage the players. Trying to be engaging with the players at half time and pass across the correct messages. At the start I remember the feeling of being overwhelmed, but once we kicked off things got easier. It probably helped that we had a very good team too and we won the game which was a great relief!  In the coming days I will share the second half of My Coaching Journey and those who have influenced me, as well as some self reflection on how I have changed my coaching style from when I first started out to where I am now. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you over the coming season(s) whilst working through this coaching licence. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I will! AT
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AuthorAaron Travers Archives
September 2021
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