During your coaching journey, you will probably encounter some challenges very early on. Whether you deal with these yourself or seek advice, is clearly down to you. After this, a few months pass and again, you encounter further challenges. This time, you feel you have matured and gained more experience, but you still don’t have a clear solution to solve the issues you have.

What can do you?

Look online for answers
Try and solve the situation in practical terms
Leave the situation and try to ignore it, in the hope it passes
Have someone who can help you and guide you to a more objective solution

The list could go on, but to get to my point across, it’s clear to see that you can either go about things on your own or, have a mentor who can help you.

Before we go any further, it’s important to know that a mentor isn’t in place to give you all the answers or to be the ‘phone call’ away, with the solution that you need. These people are in place to help you learn, by asking you questions, in order for you to get to the objective you so need. If you don’t understand, then maybe your mentor has to ask clearer and more precise questions.

In 2016, I began a new journey and tried to find a mentor, who could help me progress as a person and a coach. I stumbled across a Dutch educator, called Raymond Verhejien, who from the Netherlands, has an outstanding CV. He has worked on the worlds biggest stage, with the largest clubs and in the biggest competitions. He was available, so surely I had to take the opportunity? It’s now 2022 and I’m coming to the end of my 6th year with Raymond as my mentor. Would I have changed any part of this process? No. Am I glad that I took this route, 6 years ago? Without a doubt, yes!

Over the course of the last 6 years, I’ve learnt;

That being in extremely uncomfortable situations, at the time feels horrendous, but in the long run, it improves you massively
Never assume that a job is complete. There will always be parts to improve, just look harder
Value objectivity over subjectivity, everyday of the week
You can see football in an extremely different way, if you zoom out, remove emotion and try to understand the processes that are taking place
Having a mentor to support me along my journey, doesn’t give me the confidence that I have someone behind me, with all the answers – it has made me feel that, I have someone watching (with good intentions), who will push me and try to guide me to the answer I need
You have to create your own opportunities
Standard coach education does’t seem to push you, to the absolute limits. I’ve had someone in place who has never lowered the bar and has always encouraged me to keep trying
If something is challenging, don’t take it personally. You need more time to improve your football references, so in time, this would probably help you
Venturing into the unknown (a new culture or a top professional football club) is the best thing for you, as it will expose your incompetencies extremely quickly
You won’t always have someone who can watch over you in the times of failure. Learn to deal with these situations yourself

There have been many other moments that I feel I could share, but I don’t want to take away from the fact that quantity over quality, is best practice. Throughout the last 6 years there has been many ups and downs, with thoughts to quit in my thinking, on more than 1 occasion. The best thing to do in these situations, is to look back on how far you’ve come in your journey and, will you regret this in the future? These answers usually lead you to the better decisions…..

Starting in July, 2022, is the 3rd (new improved) edition of the Park to Pro coach mentorship programme. While I don’t profess to know all of the answers, I do feel I have firm foundations, to deliver an objective development programme, that will improve you as a coach and person.

Are you stuck at your own glass ceiling? ‘Lost’ with what to do next? Or, do you just want to improve your football ‘toolbox’?

With a very competitive cost, access to content you may not of seen previously and the opportunity to learn more about yourself, this programme may just be the pathway you’ve been looking for.

I was very cautious 6 years ago, but I now know it was one of the best decisions I’ve made and has improved me massively. Consider where you want to go and what you need to do, to get there? Our coach mentorship programme will be able to assist you, in reaching your personal improvement goals and who knows….you could find yourself in a much better position in 6 years time.

For details on the 2022/23 edition, please email adam@parktopro.com