The Scottish FA is delighted to announce PCS Plus for Football, a new training programme for coaches across Scotland.

PCS Plus is the result of a continued partnership between the Scottish FA and the Winning Scotland Foundation. It builds on the Foundation’s Positive Coaching Scotland initiative which the Scottish FA has successfully delivered since 2008.

In direct response to the needs and demands of Scotland’s clubs, Winning Scotland Foundation has invested in a refreshment of the content of its workshops to provide coaches, parents, leaders and volunteers with new skills and expertise to become Positive Coaches.

The programme offers five packages:

  • Mastery – Focuses on long term development of young players by achieving success through effort, learning, improvement ​and enjoyment. Considered the anchor course of the new programme, the Mastery package is available free of charge in each of the Scottish FA regions during the remainder of 2018. 
  • Mindset – Develops a belief that ability can grow if we set goals, practice, challenge ourselves and use a variety of strategies to overcome adversity.
  • Confidence – develops the optimism and self-belief in your own ability to perform an action or skill successfully​.
  • Life skills – Develops social skills such as communication and teamwork, performance skills such as leadership and decision making, and emotional skills, including ​self-awareness and empathy​.
  • Values – Develops standards that guide your actions, beliefs that distinguish right from wrong, ​and positive behaviours to which coaches will adhere, even when faced with adversity​.

Introductory workshops will run in different areas across Scotland and will rotate over the course of the next few years.

In addition to the workshop programme the Scottish FA will also provide a training programme to support ANAs, member clubs and Legacy & Community Level Quality Mark Clubs. Through this training, they will empower their own PCS Plus trainer and gain full use of the new resources for their own club. 

Andy Gould, Head of Football Development at the Scottish FA: “The launch of PCS Plus is an exciting development for our game. It will provide coaches and volunteers with the opportunity to develop further insight and skills in a range of crucial areas that are important to the development of young people, both as footballers and members of society.

“A great deal of work has gone into the development of this programme and to improve and refresh the excellent work we have already achieved in partnership with the Winning Scotland Foundation.

“We look forward to working across Scotland to deliver these new packages and in due course to extend our support to coaches and clubs via a range of new opportunities.”

Morag Arnot of the Winning Scotland Foundation added “This partnership with the Scottish FA to roll out PCS Plus across the nation represents the realisation of a crucial, long-term goal for Winning Scotland Foundation. 

“Our ambition is for all young people in Scotland to develop confidence and resilience, and by enabling young players in every corner to of the country to access our new PCS Plus programme, it goes a long way to achieving that. 

“The Scottish FA have been exemplary partners for a decade now, and we aim to continue this positive, fulfilling relationship long into the future to support the development of Scotland’s young people.”

Alex McLeish, Head Coach of the Scotland Men’s National Team: “It is of vital importance to the development of the game across Scotland for coaches to be provided with the correct tools to develop their talents.                    

“Good football coaching transcends the game – it develops engaging life skills that will benefit the young person as they journey through life.

“PCS Plus is a fantastic programme that equips coaches with skills they can then use to train young people to approach both football and life with the correct attitude.”

Information about dates and venues for the 12 workshops is below. Places on each workshop can be booked via the Scottish FA Live platform: www.scottishfalive.co.uk

27 August, Hampden Park – Mastery

3 September, Tannadice Stadium – Mastery

12 September, Pittodrie Stadium – Mastery

26 September, Rugby Park, Kilmarnock – Mastery

3 October, Falkirk Stadium – Mastery

24 October, Hamilton Palace – Confidence

29 October, Forfar Community Campus - Life Skills

7 November, Kirkintilloch Leisure Centre – Confidence

15 November, Tynecastle Stadium – Mastery

20 November, Tynecastle Stadium – Values

21 November, Pittodrie Stadium – Mindset

26 November, Hampden Park – Mastery