How we continued to educate our coaches despite the Covid-19 pandemic

When in-person coach education was suspended in March, Welsh football had a huge problem. 

Without courses to get new coaches skilled and educated, thousands of young players wanting to start their football journey would be stuck with nobody to coach them.

So, we created an online version of the FAW Football Leaders Award to allow the education of new coaches to continue. More than 2,000 people took this opportunity to join our Welsh football coaching family, leading to thousands more happy children who were able to be coached by them. 

We also created an online version of our FAW Safeguarding Award and adapted our practices to use video conferencing technology to allow our active C Certificate, B Licence and A Licence coaches to complete their courses and a new season has started at each of those levels and UEFA Pro Licence.

Our goalkeeper courses were also able to continue online, while Wales stars Chris Gunter, Ashley Williams, James Chester, Joe Allen, Neil Taylor, Sam Vokes, Joe Ledley and Andy King completed the UEFA A Licence intensive course, which also included the B Licence.

Pan fu’n rhaid gohirio addysgu hyfforddwyr wyneb yn wyneb ym mis Mawrth, roedd gan bêl-droed Cymru broblem enfawr.

Heb gyrsiau i addysgu a meithrin sgiliau hyfforddwyr newydd, byddai miloedd o chwaraewyr ifanc sydd eisiau dechrau ar eu siwrnai bêl-droed heb neb i'w hyfforddi.

Felly, aethom ati i greu fersiwn ar-lein o Ddyfarniad Arweinwyr Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru i ganiatáu i addysgu hyfforddwyr newydd barhau. Manteisiodd mwy na 2,000 o bobl ar y cyfle hwn i ymuno â theulu hyfforddi pêl-droed Cymru, gan arwain at filoedd yn rhagor o blant hapus oedd yn gallu cael eu hyfforddi ganddynt.

Hefyd aethom ati i greu fersiwn ar-lein o Ddyfarniad Diogelu Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru ac addasu ein harferion i ddefnyddio technoleg fideo-gynadledda i alluogi i'n hyfforddwyr Tystysgrif C, Trwydded B a Thrwydded A gweithredol gwblhau eu cyrsiau, ac mae tymor newydd wedi dechrau ar bob un o'r lefelau hynny a Thrwydded Broffesiynol UEFA.

Roedd posib i’n cyrsiau gôl-geidwad barhau ar-lein hefyd, a chwblhaodd sêr Cymru, sef Chris Gunter, Ashley Williams, James Chester, Joe Allen, Neil Taylor, Sam Vokes, Joe Ledley ac Andy King gwrs dwys Trwydded A UEFA, a oedd hefyd yn cynnwys Trwydded B.

In July we launched a series of online socially distanced sessions that coaches could use to keep their players safe when junior football returned. 

Then, thanks to Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund, we were able to offer our grassroots coaches free access to Coach Cymru, a digital community designed to support and educate them with age specific sessions, informative podcasts and a platform to chat with their peers, across Wales. 

Then in November, we were able to offer 250 grassroots coaches the opportunity to upskill to FAW C Certificate level for free, thanks again to Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund. 

Head of Coach Education Carl Darlington said: “Covid-19 has impacted everyone’s lives, not knowing what the future holds or when we can get back to normal. We at FAW Coach Education have had to completely think outside the box, work differently, create new content and platforms for our football family across Wales to support and continue their football education.

"I would like to thank our dedicated, motivated and talented Coach Education department for making such changes during very short periods of time. I would also like to thank all our Coaches across Wales for being flexible and adapting to the new way of education during these uncertain times and hope the experience has inspired you all, as you return back to football.”

Ym mis Gorffennaf, lansiwyd cyfres o sesiynau cadw pellter cymdeithasol ar-lein gennym y gallai hyfforddwyr eu defnyddio i gadw eu chwaraewyr yn ddiogel pan oedd pêl-droed iau yn dychwelyd.

Wedyn, diolch i Gronfa Cymru Actif Chwaraeon Cymru, roedd posib i ni gynnig mynediad am ddim i'n hyfforddwyr ar lawr gwlad i Coach Cymru, cymuned ddigidol sydd wedi’i chynllunio i'w cefnogi a'u haddysgu gyda sesiynau sy'n benodol i oedran, podlediadau llawn gwybodaeth a phlatfform i sgwrsio gyda'u cydweithwyr ledled Cymru.

Wedyn, ym mis Tachwedd, roeddem yn gallu cynnig cyfle i 250 o hyfforddwyr ar lawr gwlad uwchsgilio i lefel Tystysgrif C Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru am ddim, diolch eto i Gronfa Cymru Actif Chwaraeon Cymru.

Dywedodd y Pennaeth Addysgu Hyfforddwyr, Carl Darlington: "Mae Covid-19 wedi effeithio ar fywydau pawb, heb wybod beth yw’r dyfodol na phryd allwn ni ddychwelyd i normal. Bu'n rhaid i ni yn adran Addysgu Hyfforddwyr Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru feddwl y tu allan i'r bocs, gweithio'n wahanol, creu cynnwys a phlatfformau newydd i'n teulu pêl-droed ledled Cymru i gefnogi a pharhau â'u haddysg pêl-droed.

Fe hoffwn i ddiolch i'n hadran Addysgu Hyfforddwyr ymroddedig, brwdfrydig a thalentog am wneud newidiadau o'r fath yn ystod cyfnod byr iawn o amser. Fe hoffwn i ddiolch hefyd i'n holl Hyfforddwyr ni ledled Cymru am fod yn hyblyg ac addasu i'r ffordd newydd o addysgu yn ystod y cyfnod ansicr yma. Gobeithio bod y profiad wedi eich ysbrydoli chi i gyd, wrth i chi ddychwelyd at bêl-droed.”