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Sporting excellence professional - Football

Sporting excellence professional - Football

Health and science

Level 3 - Technical Occupation

Able to competently perform the professional sport in which they train such as; cricket, football, rugby league, rugby union and equestrianism.

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Reference: OCC0524C

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

SOC 2020 code: 3431 Sports players

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 3431/00 Sports players
  • 2226/07 Sports psychologists

Technical Education Products

ST0524:

Sporting excellence professional - Football

(Level 3)

Approved for delivery

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Hull Tigers , Premier League, Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League, Widnes Vikings, England and Wales Cricket Board, City Football Group, Leicester City FC, Charlton Athletic FC, Portsmouth FC, Derby County FC, Sheffield Wednesday FC, League Football Education, British Racing School,

Summary

This occupation is found in professional sporting disciplines, including cricket, football, rugby union, rugby league, horseracing and equestrianism.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to participate at a professional level in individual or team sports. Sporting Excellence Professionals perform consistently and effectively in training environments and competitions in their chosen professional sport. They are part of a team and are supported and managed by a wider and multi-disciplinary team, including a manager/coach/ trainer, skills coaches, physiotherapists, psychologists, nutritionist, strength and conditioning experts, and educational staff. They have high level of autonomy in terms of responsibility for what happens on the field of play or equine arena/venues and need to be able to cope with extreme pressure.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with coaches, employers, fellow athletes, sporting officials and multidisciplinary support staff, administrative staff, external partners e.g. broadcasters, fans.

An employee in this occupation is responsible for committing to their development and involvement in training and competitive professional sporting activities. This involves maintaining a high level of fitness to allow them to participate in training and competitions, sustaining a lifestyle designed to optimise performance, being aware of external factors that may affect individual performance both physically and psychologically, and maintaining a positive and inclusive image of their sport as part of their social responsibility.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Hull Tigers , Premier League, Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League, Widnes Vikings, England and Wales Cricket Board, City Football Group, Leicester City FC, Charlton Athletic FC, Portsmouth FC, Derby County FC, Sheffield Wednesday FC, League Football Education, British Racing School,

Typical job titles include:

Dressage rider
Equestrian athlete
Eventer
Jockey
Professional cricketer
Professional footballer
Professional rugby league player
Professional rugby player
Professional sportsman
Show jumper

Keywords:

Cricket
Football
Healthcare
Leisure
Professional
Recreation
Rugby
Science
Sport
Sporting

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: How to utilise multi-disciplinary staff to improve tactical performance, addressing individual strengths and weaknesses through the use of individual action plans, training and competition.
K2: How to use technology, such as video footage or software packages, to interpret and compare different forms of analysis.
K3: How to use analysis to evaluate both technical and tactical performance and impact on results during training and competition.
K4: The physical requirements of the individual’s chosen sport, such as cardiovascular fitness, explosive power, stamina of professional sport; principles of training (including periodisation) and specificity and methods (e.g., strength and conditioning, fundamental movement, physical literacy) used to develop physical capabilities.
K5: The common types of injury (e.g., soft tissue damage) relevant to professional sport; how to prevent, recover, rehabilitate from and manage injury and the physiological and psychological responses to injury.
K6: Safe and effective practice in sports performance environments, and how to access appropriate support networks for any areas of concern or individual wellbeing – individually and on behalf of colleagues.
K7: The importance of equality, inclusion and diversity across society and professional sport.
K8: The legislation and guidance with regards to Anti-Doping including the negative impacts and side effects of using performance enhancing or recreational drugs on personal performance, career and the reputation of the sport.
K9: The importance of nutrition to help achieve excellence in professional sport.
K10: The psychological and emotional demands of professional sport and how to make the best use of these capabilities.
K11: The methods and strategies that relate to fundamental, preparatory and performance phases such as emotional resilience, visualisation, refocussing, concentration, and pre-performance routines.
K12: The demands of effective leadership in professional sport, identifying traits and behaviours of appropriate role models.
K13: The mechanics of effective communication (personal and professional) and building and sustaining relationships with other people.
K14: The importance of lifestyle management factors relevant to being a professional sports person, such as finance and a responsible social media presence.
K15: The components (e.g. goal setting, planning) that contribute to the individual’s chosen primary career plan, and the key facets of self-identity as a professional sports person and as an individual.
K16: The importance of secondary and supplementary careers and consideration of dual career aspirations..
K17: The influence and impact of each performance area on each other and how they interact.
K18: How to self-reflect, self-evaluate, utilise feedback from coaching and multi-disciplinary staff and use goal setting processes and development plans to positively impact all discipline areas.
K19: A range of different technical aspects of performance when passing or distributing, receiving, retaining, travelling with the ball, defending, attacking and during transition. (football)
K20: Their individual position-specific technical playing role and how to be adaptable and comfortable in the requirements of other position specific roles and responsibilities within units and teams (football)
K21: A range of different tactical aspects of performance including formations, strategies, transition of play, playing style, philosophy (football)
K22: Their individual position-specific tactical playing role and how to be adaptable and comfortable in the requirements of other position specific roles and responsibilities within units and teams (football)

S1: Use digital technology to refine and optimise performance in terms of tactical approach to the opposition, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, creating individual tactical plans and reviewing training and competitive performance.
S2: Use data and digital insight to improve performance of their skills and performance.
S3: Continually improve physical capabilities by utilising insight and expertise from specialist support staff through completing bespoke conditioning activities such as speed, power and coordination, as well as on and off field/course/venue training programmes that might take place in the gymnasium, swimming pool or performance lab.
S4: Engage in injury prevention and management programmes utilising insight and expertise from specialist support staff to help mitigate impact of injury on training and competition performance.
S5: Apply safe practice principles across all elements of training, preparation and competition - for example when working with equipment, working alone, working under pressure, or travelling abroad.
S6: Take appropriate action to source relevant information for pre- and post-testing and at all times, be able to access a current list of prohibited and banned substances.
S7: Implement a programme to improve diet and approach to hydration and nutrition, incorporating feedback and evaluation from specialist support staff.
S8: Psychological and Emotional performance: Profile psychological strengths and weaknesses and implement their agreed programme to meet individual and sporting requirements.
S9: Apply consistent and effective psychological and emotional skills in training and performance or competition environments.
S10: Plan, implement and develop personal leadership skills both in and away from their professional playing/riding career.
S11: Communicate and build constructive and effective relationships with staff, colleagues and peers conducive to performance development.
S12: Effectively manage conflict and present a positive image of themselves, their organisation and their sport in all situations.
S13: Identify and engage with a personal action plan to improve lifestyle management that promotes and develops mental wellbeing and emotional health.
S14: Design and implement a personal career action plan that identifies how to manage the transition into the next stage considering secondary and supplementary careers.
S15: Deliver consistent performance under pressure through effective integration of all performance disciplines .
S16: Reflect and review performance and training to analyse, progress and improve performance, both in training and competition.
S17: Demonstrate assured basic techniques and an extensive range of ball skills which meet positional specific requirements (e.g., shooting, heading, handling) and meet governing body guidelines. (football)
S18: Manipulate the ball with clean contact skills and excellent control when passing or distributing, receiving, retaining, and travelling with the ball, and using all parts of the body. (football)
S19: Pass and/or distribute the ball intelligently and efficiently over varying distances when unopposed and under pressure. (football)
S20: Execute positional specific techniques skilfully at optimum and varying speeds and maintain precision under pressure. (football)
S21: Effectively execute specific individual roles and responsibilities within units and teams making good tactical decisions (e.g., cover, balance, when to press, when to drop). . (football)
S22: Demonstrate effectiveness within team attacking and defending strategies and when in periods of transition. (football)
S23: Apply appropriate tactical approaches to deal with specific moments in the game (e.g., game management). (football)
S24: Constantly monitor the development of play both in and out of possession and during transition to make effective decision making in a range of situations. (football)

B1: Positively model professionalism through personal presentation and integrity in all actions
B2: Be collaborative in teamwork situations - especially under pressure
B3: Self-manage weekly commitments which include time management and organisation
B4: Conduct themselves in a respectful, fair, and approachable manner and in line with the employer’s standards and code of conduct.
B5: Demonstrates a strong, positive, and dedicated work ethic which clearly shows ownership of personal development, aptitude, aspiration and ambition
B6: Be self-reflective
B7: Own and engage in goal setting processes
B8: Exhibit inclusive behaviours recognising equality and diversity.

Duties

Duty D1

Effectively represent, commit and perform to the best of ability in chosen sporting discipline at a local, regional, national or international level.

Duty D2

Undertake a daily training routine, supported by a multi-disciplinary team, to ensure development and retention of the technical, tactical, physical and psychological skills necessary for performing at a professional level.

Duty D3

Undertake safe and effective sporting activities as instructed with due regard to self, support team and other participants.

Duty D4

Manage and fulfil daily, weekly and seasonal sporting and training commitments.

Duty D5

Exhibit inclusive, fair, ethical and respectful behaviours when involved, training or competing in their chosen sporting discipline, and positively model professionalism through personal presentation and integrity.

Duty D6

Record daily activities, plan goals and targets and monitor and evaluate performance.

Duty D7

Use data/statistics to assist in improving performance and to aid in setting development goals.

Duty D8

Maintain a satisfactory and safe environment to undertake training, coaching and high-level sports participation.

Duty D9

Operate within strict regulatory and bio-security practices. For example, implementing anti-doping policies and following codes of conduct when at sports grounds/venues.

Duty D10

Implement appropriate fitness, nutritional and psychological skills programmes to optimise and excel at competitive performance.

Duty D11

Implement a personal career action plan that identifies secondary supplementary career options.

Duty D12

Practice a lifestyle conducive to high levels of performance.

Duty D13

Work with a multi-disciplinary team to support continuous improvement in training, performance and competition.

Duty D14

Communicate effectively and build meaningful relationships with multiple stakeholders, staff and peers within the individual’s chosen sport.

Duty D15

Perform a range of prehab and rehabilitation procedures, including recovery protocols to maintain high levels of repeated physical performance daily, and throughout the year.

Duty D16

Perform a range of footballing technical and tactical skills in training and competition to optimise team performance.

Duty D17

Analyse own, teammates and opposition skills to make strategic decisions to optimise team performance in a football environment.

Duty D18

Undertake pre- and post-match footballing procedures relevant to game plans, and legal and regulatory procedures.

Duty D19

Review own and team performance to address strengths and weaknesses to improve future outcomes in a footballing context.

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

Technical Occupations

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Higher Technical Occupations

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