Grassroots UEFA D Leader: 18 new aspiring coaches at the FSGC

The UEFA D Leader course, which involved 18 aspiring grassroots youth coaches, concluded on Monday 16 May. Not all of them will become full coaches, and not all will continue their education by taking further steps, but all of them will certainly return home with greater sporting knowledge – an asset that is useful in every situation involving contact with and support for the grassroots youth football movement. This entry-level course is designed to build awareness of the role of the coach as an educator, aiming to provide participants with the tools to reflect on the responsibilities that come with the position. Student participation was substantial: 6 days of lessons (18 hours) split between classroom and pitch, with the added opportunity to observe activities in the "Primi Calci" tournament organised by the FSGC at the San Marino Stadium. It was a powerful experience that fuelled discussion on how best to manage and organise youth activities. This explains why this type of course is suitable not only for those who, in the future, wish to work on the pitch as an assistant coach – and eventually aim to become a fully qualified coach – but also for those who, even in different roles such as club official or external collaborator, will still have to deal with the day-to-day challenges of engaging with the boys and girls in our football. It is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the role of educator. Below are the names of the participants who received their certificates from instructors Carlo Chiarabini and Fabio Lepri: Cristina Ardini, Raffaella Barbieri, Maurizio Benvenuti, Oscar Bianchi, Martina Canuti, Riccardo Colonna, Umberto De Lucia, Emilio Di Stasio, Daniel Giannini, Ilaria Giorgi, Eros Grani, Fabiano Grassi, Ramiro Martin Lago, Francesca Montanari, Francesco Perrotta, Eros Selva, Giacomo Valentini, Massimo Zavatta. The next UEFA D Leader course is scheduled for 2023.

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