75 students take part in the Association’s second term of courses

75 former FC Barcelona players and supporters of the organisation took part in the Barça Players Association (BPA) second term of training courses, which were completed in June. However, the basic and advanced coaching badge courses are only halfway through, given that after the summer the practical sessions will begin, sessions which must be completed in order for participants to be eligible to receive the Catalan Football Federation qualification.

Organised by the Association’s Education Area, the coaching badge courses are becoming one of the most important training programmes due to the great amount of hours of dedication which they require, as well as the high number of participants.

With regards to the official advanced level coaching badge course, the majority of the students (13 in total) passed the theory part of the course, and will therefore be able to begin practical sessions from September, at clubs, associations and registered organisations. This is a course which started at the beginning of the year, and will not be completed until the students have successfully passed the course’s obligatory practical sessions.

For the students on the course (ex-player members and a first team player from the FC Barcelona women’s team), gaining this qualification represents a big step up in their careers as coaches. For them, this training programme will lead to access to a wider range of job opportunities, whether that be at home or abroad. Some of these job offers are managed directly by the Association Careers Centre.

Amongst BPA members there is significant number of former players who want to be professional coaches, that’s why they decided to take the 2nd level coach badge course and carry on with their professional training. Most of the students took part in the first edition of the basic level course last season.

On the other hand, the official basic level coaching badge course was participated in by 21 students (9 players from FC Barcelona Women, 5 ex-players, 5 players from the FCB youth system who are BPA members, and two Association supporters. The overall results of the course have been positive and satisfactory. The students had to complete and pass the theory section in order to gain access to the practical part of the course. Not all the students will begin them in September, because it’s a larger and more diverse group whose members have a variety of educational and professional objectives.

At the same time, this term has seen the consolidation of the three levels of English studies (beginner, intermediate and advanced levels), courses which are in great demand and have been very well received by our members. The educational programme was completed with two further initiatives: Cohesive Teams, Winning Teams, a workshop with a sporting flavour for coaches, and Excel for Business and Companies, where students perfected their basic professional skills.