Skills & Strategies for Coaching Soccer

Alan Hargreaves MA, Med, DLC, played for Lancashire, Loughborough Colleges, and English Universities. A fully qualified Football Association coach, he directed national residential coaching courses for players up to 18 years of age and codirected the Soccer Academy for Young Players in California. He was head coach for the British Colleges soccer team and coached professional soccer for five years—two years with Stoke City and three years with Crewe Alexandra. He has conducted numerous coaches' and players' courses in England and California and was a consultant in fitness training for soccer and hockey players.

Alan directed the fitness training program for the 1980 and 1984 British men's Olympic field hockey team. He has also worked extensively in universities, soccer coaching clinics, and residential camps, many for the American Youth Soccer Organization.

Now retired, Alan enjoys playing tennis and golf and traveling with his wife, Janet.

Richard Bate, BEd (PhysEd), was the head of the Cardiff City FC Youth Academy and the former director of elite coaching for the English Football Association (FA). He coached at Leeds United FC, Notts County FC, Lincoln City FC, and Hereford United FC. He served as the technical director at Watford FC, and as a technical adviser to FIFA, soccer’s world governing body. He was also the technical director of the Malaysian Football Association and the Canadian Soccer Association.

Bate was a UEFA professional license holder, FA staff coach, AFC staff coach, UEFA “A” license holder, and England youth team coach. As an athlete he played for Sheffield Wednesday, York City, and Boston United football clubs and represented the British Colleges while a student.

He directed and conducted several UEFA Professional License courses and more than 40 UEFA “A” license courses and, together with S. Subramaniam, devised and instigated the Coach Education Programme throughout Asia for the Asian Football Confederation. He received the Lifetime Achievement Coaching Award from the English Football Association.

Dick Bate passed away in 2018.