Jobs4Football meets Colum Curtis to discuss Pro Licence Course
I had the pleasure to speak with Head Coach and fellow Irishman, Colum Curtis. Colum has recently gained his UEFA Pro Licence with the Irish FA and looks to expand his horizons beyond Cambodia. Colum was able to fill me in on the journey to gain his Pro Licence and how valuable the process was for him.
Colum unfortunately was required to start the course from the comfort of his own home due to the pandemic. “I feel like I missed out on the conversational aspect of the course because of the first two weeks, but I certainly made up for it in the last two.” Colum was able to attend the Manchester City Champions League win against PSG in November of last year and was given the task of analysing Man City’s play; Colum found it phenomenal watching Man City play and see the inner cogs of the football club turning in unison. “We received a lecture from Andy O’Boyle who has recently became Manchester United’s Deputy Football Director, but at the time he was Head of Elite Performance at the Premier League. I was able to take away some vital information before we went to London to watch Man City against Burnley and West Ham against Liverpool.”
To obtain undoubtedly the highest coaching qualification in Europe, Colum had to spend a minimum of 140 hours spent studying theory and practical off the pitch, as well as a minimum of 220 hours spent on the pitch including work experience. Colum felt confident going into the course and didn’t feel like he was wondering into the unknown. “It’s not quite daunting because I’ve been coaching since I was 17 and been in the professional game a few years whilst also climbing the coach education ladder, but you gain more confidence sharing footballing debates with people who are coaching at the very top of the game, won premier league, champions league trophies and played in world cups. It was invaluable to me to bounce ideas off them and share my way of working. It was comforting knowing that premier league coaches are doing things in similar ways to you. I enjoyed knowing the thought process of each coach, whether it was tactically, the structure of their club or how long before kick-off the manager announced the team.”
Throughout Colum’s journey he was introduced to and conversed with some of the most brilliant people in Sport. Professor A. Mark Williams acclaimed Sports scientist flew in to provide the coaches professional scientific insight into skill acquisition and talent identification. “The topic was game intelligence, how it can be developed and what role does the coach play to facilitate that process. It was very interesting to me and he’s got a book out I’ve been meaning to read.” Colum met former Chief Scout of Manchester United Jim Lawlor and got an insight of what Sir Alex Ferguson expected of him at the team. “The detail of work and number of staff Jim had worldwide was simply mind blowing.”
Footballer & former Sporting Director of Derby Chris Evans, who has been involved in football for 43 years delivered a presentation on managing up and how to manage the board. Due to the roles of manager and sporting director it is inevitable that at some point they will have to converse with the higher ups at the club. It is essential that you portray yourself professionally and remember you are representing the club. “Chris told us of a time had to fly to America and present in front of five billionaires on what they needed to do to make the club successful. He gave us a lot of tips on how to deal with board members, I wish I was given that presentation before my previous job as I definitely would have handled some situations differently.”
First team fitness coach at Liverpool FC Dr Conall Murtagh was another speaker that Colum gained a lot from. “He spoke on Liverpool’s training cycles daily, weekly and annually, and the challenges they face playing so many games. It was great to see how this role plays a key part in how they maintain that intensity of play throughout the season. We were lucky enough to get an insight into how Klopp likes to work and lead his team and staff.”
I would definitely recommend the Irish FA Coach Education Programme to any aspiring coaches.
Colum plans to stay in South East Asia and would like to develop his skills beyond the pro licence, he also still has the contacts around the world he has acquired from networking throughout the pro licence journey. “My Wife and I have just welcomed our baby daughter 6 months ago, we both like it here and its definitely somewhere where I can learn. I would like to go to a progressive club that would want someone who has spent all their time on obtaining a Pro Licence. At the moment Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia require the Head Coach to have a pro licence which is an opportunity I’d like to capitalise on.”