Premier League goes international
The innovative coach development project Premier Skills, run in partnership with the British Council, has been breaking new ground all over the world during the past year. The first phase of Premier Skills is now complete, taking in taking in 22 projects in 15 countries across Africa, China, India and South East Asia.
Former Premier League stars and UEFA-qualified coaches Robbie Earle and Warren Barton have led a skilled team of head coaches on Premier Skills. The week-long 'Phase One' courses have trained close to 1,000 aspiring sports coaches, PE teachers and community leaders to return to their towns and cities and enhance the football sessions they deliver.
Premier Skills has focused on developing the coaches' leadership skills and a greater understanding of the role football can play in tackling a range of social issues their countries may face.
Alongside the head coach, three Premier League coaches have been involved in each project. These coaches hail from both academy and community teams at the clubs and are selected according to their skills and how these match the specific needs of each country.
Premier Skills had an original aim that those participants involved in 'Phase One' of the course would subsequently go on to work with 100,000 young people. Evaluation shows that these targets have not only been met but doubled, with an extraordinary 200,000 youngsters involved.
Alongside the practical coach development training that is delivered in-country, the British Council has also created materials that use the Premier League, its clubs and players to capture the interest of millions of English language students worldwide. Premier Skills now has a dedicated website that is packed with Premier League-related resources that teachers anywhere in the world can use to encourage pupils to learn English.
But the project does not end there. Premier Skills 'Phase Two' kicks off in January in Kolkata, India - the first of five 'Phase Two' courses to be held across the world over the course of 2010. Each Phase Two course will be held in a 'hub' city or country and will see those coaches from Phase One who displayed the greatest potential for further development.
In Kolkata there will be the most promising 25 coaches from each of the Phase One courses that took place in India - from Kolkata, New Delhi, Goa and Kerala.
These coaches will take part in another week of practical development, with a particular focus on enhancing their understanding of how to use football in a range of innovative ways to deal with everyday social issues that their communities may face.
Alongside Premier Skills, the Premier League is involved in a large number of other sport development projects overseas. These include the far-reaching London 2012 legacy project International Inspiration, along with long-term partnerships with Magic Bus and Comic Relief.
The Premier League also continues to invest in a wide range of smaller grassroots projects through its International Small Grants Fund (ISGF).
You can find the whereabouts of all of our international projects, along with a short background on each, by scrolling across the interactive map alongside this story. The film above also gives you a flavour of how Premier Skills takes shape - this time in the Chinese city of Dalian.
