Football Victoria’s Club Coach Coordinator (CCC) Program has hit a new milestone of 1000 coaches attending CCC club visits. An impressive accolade possible through program manager Rob Taylor and his team.
The CCC Program is a grassroots initiative aimed at supporting new and inexperienced coaches at their own club offering support methods before deciding if they want formal coach education.
Clubs that participate in the program have a selected coach (CCC) working closely with the CCC Program Manager to help build confidence in order to deliver engaging, enjoyable and relevant sessions to improve player development and retention.
Learn more about the CCC Program
CCC visits are an opportunity for coaches to identify areas in which they need to improve; Taylor goes deeper into what happens during a visit.
“During a club visit, we work directly with coaches in their own environment. We look at different coaching topics, discuss challenges they are experiencing and then put the learning into practice through practical activities," he explained.
“It’s very much about making the information relevant to their players and giving coaches things they can take away and use at their next training session.”
Rob Taylor has been in charge of the CCC Program for over five years, during this time he has overseen the growth of the program from inception to actual implementation and the personal implications of this success.
“Reaching 1000 coaches is a massive achievement for the CCC team and something we are really proud of. It shows that coaches across Victoria are wanting to learn, improve and access support," Taylor said.
“For me personally, it’s really rewarding to see the program grow from an idea to something that is making a real difference at clubs. The biggest thing is knowing that the 1000 coaches we have worked with are taking new ideas and learnings back into their teams and ultimately improving the experience for players.”
Taylor attributes the growth of the CCC Program to the implementation of feedback, while heaping praise to the programs new Coach Education Tutors who are able to deliver sessions along with the program manager.
“We have continued to evolve the program based on feedback and the challenges coaches are facing," he said.
“The addition of our Coach Education Tutors has also been a huge part of the growth, allowing us to provide more support directly to clubs.”
Taylor and his team highlight the importance of working with clubs directly and take on the understanding of how different clubs and coaches need different support to improve their sessions.
“By going directly into clubs, we can understand their environment and tailor our support to what they actually need. It also makes the learning much more effective," he explained.
“Coaches can ask questions, discuss real situations they are experiencing and then put ideas into practice straight away. We want coaches to leave a visit thinking, “I can take that into my next session.”
Despite the differences in clubs, Taylor says that across teams there are areas coaches are seeing similar improvements.
“One of the biggest areas is helping coaches understand how to make their sessions more player-centred and age appropriate," he noted.
“Another big area is helping coaches understand that they don't need to overcomplicate training. Sometimes simple practices, delivered well, can have the biggest impact.”
Reaching 1000 coaches isn’t just a milestone, it’s an indication of the demand for proper support across Victorian football and the importance of community sport in regards to player development.
“Coaches want support, but they also want it to be practical and accessible. Reaching 1000 coaches shows that there is a strong appetite to improve and continue learning," Taylor highlighted.
“It also highlights how important it is that we continue investing in community coaches because they have such a significant influence on the experiences of young players across Victoria.”
Behind the milestone of 1,000 coaches is a team effort, with countless hours going into making sure the program continues to deliver for clubs
“There has been a huge amount of work behind the scenes. It has involved building relationships with clubs, organising visits, supporting coaches, developing resources, and constantly looking at how we can improve the program.
“Our Coach Education Tutors have also played a massive role in getting out to clubs and delivering quality visits. Most importantly, the team has been committed to making sure every club and coach feels supported.
“Reaching 1000 coaches doesn't happen without a lot of people working together.”
Although Taylor and the team are proud of the milestone, he ensures the next step isn’t as simple as a number to target but it’s about continuously delivering quality support and assistance for coaches state wide.
“The next milestone for us is not just about reaching another number of coaches. We want to continue improving the quality and impact of the program.
“Ultimately, our goal is to create a lasting coaching culture where coaches feel supported and continue developing throughout the season," he concluded.