The coach education system for elite football coaches in Singapore

Abstract

Football is a global sport, played across continents and multiple levels. It is also the most popular team sport in Singapore. Due to its popularity, the demand for certified football coaches is also high, especially in schools and private sectors. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) have put in place various coach education systems to develop an adequate number of qualified coaches to deliver quality football programmes for participants at all levels (grassroots to elite). As a small country, Singapore holds the highest record number of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualified coaches in Asia. Several of them have also coached at professional clubs in Asia. This chapter aims to discuss some of the developments in the football coach education and development literature while sharing information on the current elite football coach education system in Singapore. Additionally, through the perspectives of various elite football stakeholders (e.g., coaches, coach developers, sport administrators), the chapter will provide specific examples on how the current system has supported their respective roles, the challenges they face, and their suggested recommendations to further support their learning and development.