Football Coach and Player Development Co-ordinator

Cover Letter
Jennings

Noel A.

In regards to the fantastic opportunity available within MMU Cheshire Football

Academy I would like to add some additional information in support of my
application.
As an experienced Secondary School teacher of Key Stage 3 and 4, completing
contracts both overseas and in the UK, I have been able to apply skills learnt and
developed as a teacher to provide inclusive opportunities for students from
diverse backgrounds in an academic and pastoral setting. As a Science and
Maths teacher in Udomsuksa School, Bangkok Thailand, I developed an after
school football club on a voluntary basis, providing planned training sessions for
14 16 year old boys. I also played for the British Consulate in a Corporate
League at that time, in 2001.
On returning to the UK, I liaised with several families and students from Thailand,
who came to participate in Summer Soccer Camps in Liverpool, providing
coordination and interpretation for students and support staff alike. This
interpretation role was continued when Everton Football Club, Academy Director,
Ray Hall, hosted Assumption College Thailand in the Nike Football Tournament
held in the UK through the Chang Sponsorship agreement and I participated in a
supporting role.
Immersed in the National Curriculum Key Stage 3 and 4 Maths, at De la Salle
Boys School in Liverpool, I also supported the P.E. Dept. John Hennigan and Kevin
Sullivan in taking Year 9 boys 1st team. This role required communication with the
Liverpool Schools Football Development Officer, as well as management of
training sessions and Saturday inter-school fixtures. I also had communication
with Mike Dickenson, the Education Officer for Everton while undertaking a report
on the Educational Support offered to Youth Players while at Everton FC.
Further on in my teaching career I was based at West Derby Boys School where I
worked closely with the PE and Science Dept.s. I was hired to deliver Key Stage
3 and 4 Science and also support the PE department in ICT curriculum activities
with students. While at the school several of the PE staff commented that I
should have been a PE Teacher as I was a natural ambassador for sport. I played
on the staff team and participated throughout Merseyside in the teachers staff
league.
In my latest teaching post I worked for Knowsley Borough Council as a Science
Coordinator in a Pupil Referral Unit named the Newstead Centre. I planned and
delivered Btec Applied Science at Level 2 and supported the Maths and PE dept. I
was responsible for the Science Dept. and I worked closely with students who
had learning difficulties developing Individual Learning Plans for them to assist in
their development. I also participated in the Btec Audit by Edexcel, providing a

focal point for the requirement for several curriculum areas including Science,
Maths, and PE/Sport. During my time at Newstead I also worked closely with Gary
Crosby, John Jones and Paul Burns the PE Coordinator. Both John and Gary were
Learning Support Assistants with FA Level 2 Licences. From the Science dept., I
assisted the PE Dept. in delivering Btec First in Sport at Level 2, providing some
of the learning and practical activities related to Sports Nutrition and Anatomy
and Physiology for Sport. Of all the Football Coaches on the School Site, it was
commented by the students and staff that I was the best, which was much to my
surprise, as I often only worked with the students in a football capacity during my
lunchtime break.
Having a skillset in Design Engineering also has allowed me to explore an
alternative career to teaching. During summer breaks I have worked in the
Engineering sector as a Project Engineer in both the downstream and upstream
Petrochemicals industry. Among one of the contracts undertaken I provided a
FEED, front end engineering design, report for a service company that was
contracted by Shell Nigeria. I also have worked in the Downstream Biofuels
industry for a Pan-European operator. Having applied myself to business
development I am presently undertaking a project at MSc. Level to develop a
Drilling Fluid from Biofuel materials for the upstream sector while undertaking a
MSc. Oil and Gas Engineering programme at the University of Salford which is
due to conclude shortly.
This period of research and academic development has given me the opportunity
to undertake some responsibility with my eldest Sons, under 8 football team,
Woolton Athletic. The club, Woolton FC., are FA standard chartered and through
them and the Liverpool County FA, I have completed the FA Level 1 in coaching.
My Sons team have been developing very rapidly since I took over the role of
Coach and Manager. I enjoy participating in this capacity and although I have an
intrinsic motivation to see the team do well, I enjoy working on improving the
performance and focusing on player development more than the result. I have
also been developing 2, Year 10 students from Childwall Community Sports
College, as my Coaching Assistants. Both of these students hope to go on and
get careers in football, one as a Physio and the other as a Referee. I will be
supporting them through this process.
I am a natural organiser, presently looking after 80 oil and gas engineers from
several countries, which are enrolled in the MSc. Programme at Salford. I have
provided a focal point for communication and organisation of activities for the
Society of Petroleum Engineers, Salford Chapter, and have been invited to
participate in the SPE London Section Board Meetings. I also organised a football
barbecue for students to raise funds for the Society which was very well received
by academic staff and students alike.
I am comfortable engaging and talking to professionals, parents and students on
academic and physical education related issues. I am also an accomplished
presenter and relish the opportunity to provide comprehensive information
regarding activities of any organisation that I am involved with.

Although not the most qualified of coaches I do follow creative and logical
methods to planning which have been developed as an educator first and
foremost. I have been undefeated as an Amateur Boxer in the ABAs and came
3rd in the British Championship for Hung Gar Kung Fu being beaten only by fellow
club members whom I didnt impose myself on, due to compassionate grounds. I
have represented Liverpool in Athletics and Cross Country and also played in
Non-League Football whilst an undergraduate at Liverpool John Moores
University for Altrincham and Southport. I have good awareness of the
importance of conditioning to endeavour in sports activities and apply suitable
variation to the training methods I employ.
My family has a good football pedigree with the success of Dale Jennings being
signed by Bayern Munich and my Uncle Jimmie Mason having played for Crystal
Palace and Scotland under 21s. I, as you have probably have gleaned from the
cover letter and my CV. have been more academic in my approach to football,
but given the opportunity, I feel confident that my practical experience and
abilities will support and enhance development within the role, as football
development comes natural to me.
I obviously would like to take my coaching skills to the highest level possible and
working with the teams and students at the Cheshire Football Academy would
provide this opportunity. It would also allow me to focus on developing further
my network of contacts within the football industry which include, Ray Hall EFC
International Development Officer, Tony Carr West Ham United Youth
Development Coach (retired), Alan Bent (Blackpool Physiotherapist), Ronnie
Reason (Liverpool County FA Mentor Coach) and Clifford French Sport Marketing;
whom I will be working with on a football project that involves the under 8 team I
coach and manage this Summer.
I am an extremely quick learner and can bring some extra facets to the role that
your average coach may not be aware of in terms of strength and conditioning
coming from a diverse range of sporting activity, which would also be supported
by analysis, coming from a strong scientific and engineering background. I am a
personable individual who can build relationships on a professional and pastoral
level.
I have excellent project management skills developed within a professional
engineering environment. I have good coordination skills developed in logistics
and planning operations for the engineering sector that are transferable to an
academic environment. I have a good awareness of marketing and customer
contact strategies developed through business and experience of working in an
academic establishment to support cross curriculum activities.
I also have multimedia and video production skills which could be used to
develop coaching and teaching material to assist student learning and provide a
potentially commercial product for market. I am a creative individual who has
plenty of energy that provides me with the extra effort needed to get things done
properly every time. I am results focused and able to set realistic and achievable
targets that support personal and student development. And above all else I am

passionate about football and about being active in supporting development in a

football setting.
In conclusion as well as fully contributing as the football coach and student
coordinator, I would also be interested in applying reliability engineering
methods , such as event tree and fault tree analysis, to support a research study
that would aim to highlight/pinpoint in game events that lead to performance
failure of teams/players in football. I envisage the initial stages of this study
could be undertaken throughout the duration of delivering the coaching and
coordination programme and over successive periods, and would hopefully
provide subsequent focus areas for player/team development.

Yours faithfully

Noel Jennings
n.a.jennings@edu.salford.ac.uk
07722 295244