The FAS/FAI Youth Soccer Training Courses provide a unique blend of educational and football development for talented young footballers in Ireland who are currently unemployed. The programme enables footballers who have left school and are interested in developing a potential career in football or the sports and leisure industry an opportunity to enhance both their football skills and education level.
While everyone who does the course will benefit by a marked improvement in their own football progress, a number of participants have done particularly well in the recent past, last season 7 players played at International level and 19 players played in the eircom League.
In 2007, 87% of course participants found employment or went on to further education when the course was completed. With a further 4% being retained in the programme, this overall achievement rate of 91% is testament to the effective work done on the programme.
An attractive feature of the FAS/FAI programme is the emphasis placed on the educational development of the students. The education programme co-ordinates and delivers this aspect of the programme which consists of theory and practical sessions in the areas of health, fitness, business and computers.
Students are prepared for FETAC qualifications in health and fitness and if a certain standard of performance is achieved during this phase students then prepare for the ITEC Gym Instructor Diploma. Qualifications such as these allow students to secure full or part time employment in fitness centres, teach their own classes on a freelance basis or work as fitness consultants to teams.
The football aspects of the programme are looked after by FAI qualified coaches. The three to four hours coaching a day, which is expert and progressive, is supplemented by a fitness programme that would be equivalent to full time training. Weekly matches and regular gym work are also part of the programme. The course participants will also take part in Kick Start 1 and 2, the first two steps on the way to becoming a qualified coach.
For further information on any of the courses, contact;
Harry McCue - Cabra coordinator - 086 6097544
Harry Kenny - Women’s Fas coordinator - 086 0437764
Mick Conroy - Cork coordinator - 086 8030149
Gerry Davis - Irishtown Coordinator - 087 2830470
Leo Tierney - Mayo Coordinator - 087 6816442
Address: National Sports Campus, 
