The FA badges are really the only way to move up through the game and to step up from a casual to a semi-professional or professional level, but there is scope for this. Plenty of coaches make their way at lower league level and then get brought up through the leagues until they are working at a very high standard indeed. At a higher level, however, you need to learn how to analyse player performance and matchplay, teach players how to deal with media coverage and design training methods which can excite and improve players of a much higher calibre – all which takes dedication, perseverance and a cool temperament.
