The Egyptian Football Association, in collaboration with the Football Association of Norway, held a four-day course for female coaches on training children, based on the C-licence qualification which is taught in the Nordic country.
Day one saw three theoretic modules taught in the morning, starting with module one: children’s football, core values and fair play.
Module two included a training session on ideal organisation and method and activity categories, while the third module tackled the role of a coach. In the afternoon, Egyptian women coaches received their first practical session, ‘A showcase from the Norwegian instructors,’ followed by a workshop on how to use the Girls Football Coaching Course (GFCC) effectively which included individual ball skills, small-sided matches and games.
Day two started with an activity category which included individual ball skills, small- sided matches and fun games, organising activity with quality, followed by a workshop which included an evaluation of practical session 2.
There was preparation of practical session 3 and activities that included playing with and against, shooting, and fun games. The day concluded with a workshop evaluation of practical sessions 3 and preparation for practical session 4.
Day three was a festival set up with children, followed by an evaluation of practical session 4; technical learning points as well introducing the attacker and defender, which was followed by a technical workshop on the learning points evaluation and expectations for the working period between intro and follow-up course.
Day four, the final day, started with a five -minute personal feedback from the instructors, followed by preparing for a festival activity with children on the pitches, which saw the participation of 148 girls between the ages of six to 14 coming from various Egyptian cities to be trained by Egyptian coaches instructed by their Norwegian counterparts and instructors. At the end, the girls were happy to receive diplomas of participation as they took group photos with the instructors and coaches.
The participating 23 Egyptian coaches are either working with a sports club, academies, youth centres or looking forward to becoming coaches in the future. Following the practical training sessions for coaches with girls on the final day, the attending coaches were assigned by the instructors to work with girls for a duration of 25 hours once they return to their clubs, academies and schools. During that time, they must apply what they have learnt by training the young girls. The coaches are to submit their assignments by video.
The 25 hours required could be split, like a two-hour duration for training. They should then send the material to the EFA, who would in turn send back to the Norwegian FA. The Norwegians made it clear to the participants that only those who fulfill the assignments and send it back will receive their Certificate category C of participation.
The course builds on the vision of football enjoyment, opportunities and challenges for all, emphasising the social development of children on the field rather than development of only elite players. According to the Norwegian instructors, football can be a tool to promote positive values such as inclusion, equality and fair play.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 21 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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