In a historic partnership event, the Irish American Football Coaches Association Annual Coaching Clinic came into being on 13th September 2008 with the assistance of the British American Football Coaches Association.

To complement the first Clinic of the IAFCA, the BAFCA supplied six top football coaches from Scotland and England to provide a weekend of coaching clinics and qualifications. The three-day event, staged at the excellent Dublin City University campus, attracted over 50 coaches from the fast expanding Irish American Football League.

IAFCA Technical Director, Darrin O'Toole said "We are delighted to have followed in BAFCA's footsteps and with their assistance launched a coaches association that has been welcomed with open arms by our members. We had representatives from every teams in Ireland attend over the weekend and attain qualifications. The IAFCA looks forward to further strengthening our partnership with BAFCA and our joint goal of continuous development of our sport through the valuable resource of coaching staff"

On the Friday, BAFCA coaches provided clinics on organisation, strength and conditioning, offense, defense and special teams topics. On the Saturday, four qualification clinics were staged for Level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications at which were taken by 50 Irish coaches – in a further move to strengthen ties, the IAFCA have chosen to adopt the BAFCA's Coach Education Programme. All 13 of the IAFLs member clubs plus most of the new teams applying for 2009 membership had coaches take qualifications. On the final day, coaches from both organisations came together to present a field clinic for IAFL players.

The IAFCA also held its Annual General Meeting on Saturday night. Mark Lawless was re-elected as Chair. The other committee members elected were Darrin O'Toole (Technical Director), Chris Gaughan, Liam Ryan & Dave Sherwin.

BAFCA President, Jim Messenger said, "We are delighted to be working in partnership with IAFCA and sharing our experience. It is great to see another country taking the steps needed to develop a strong coaching set-up. This will undoubtedly bring greater credibility to the sport in Ireland and boost future development." He continued, "The organisation of this event was excellent and we thank Coach O'Toole and Coach Lawless of the IAFCA for their great hospitality."

(Picture and parts of report complied curtosy bafca.org)

Notice From IAFCA to all Irish Coaches

Please find below important information regarding the 2008 IAFCA Convention,which is being held in DCU's Henry Grattan Building Fri Sept 12th thru Sun Sept 14th.

Firstly please be aware that IAFCA have had to date over 70 applications for the levels one.We only have 30 spots.As a result we can only offer 2 spots to each IAFL team and the remainder are for development teams.

The ISC has specified to IAFA that for 2009 no IAFA team can have a single unqualifed coach,plus all HC's must have a minimum of a level two qualification by start of season 2009.

Can all teams please ensure their HC and one co-ordinator has registered there place on the level one within the next 72 hours directly with me.

We are holding these two spots for each team until Friday and any team failing to register their 2 coaches by Friday will lose their spots and therefore fail to me IAFA/ISC criteria to coach football this season.

That being said we hope to host a further level one clinic in Jan to fastrack the remainder of team coaches to meet this criteria,it is however vital that all HC's attend this clinic if they want to obtain level two in time.Coaches who do not have a space for Sat's level one clinic can however attend Fri Evening,Sat's AGM and awards night and the Sunday Session and will get to sit their Level ones in Jan.

If a team already has a level 2 qualified HC then they must send two co-ordinators to fill their level one spots and so on down the coaching ladder.

LEVEL 2's:There are still 4 spots vacant for level two's.Please contact me asap if you have not registered.Anyone with a level one qualification is eligible to sit in for level 2's and there is no exception to this.

The cost of the weekend event is €50 per person.This covers:

1 year IAFCA membership
Entry to Fri Clinics
Entry to Sat Level One(if spot available from team quota,if not it covers your level one in Jan)
Entry to a Sat Level Two(if you already hold an existing level one)
Entry to IAFCA AGM Sat night
Entry to IAFCA Coach of the Year Award night
Entry to Sun GB Lions Coaches to Players Clinic

It is a flat €50 fee all inclusive.Details for pre payment/registration should hopefully follow in next 48 hours as IAFCA bank account is being set up as we speak.


....Now....on to the fun stuff Coaches!

More info on what exactly is happening!

Firstly who's giving the clinics???

Please find below a short introduction to our 6 coaches travelling over:

Coach Steve McCusker

Specialist knowledge in team planning, organisation,
gameplanning, player development, recruiting, RB/TE, OL and special
teams
06-present offensive co-ordinator for GB Lions and Vice president and
Director of ethics for BAFCA
99-05 National coach for Scottish Claymores in NFLE - co-ordinated
Special teams, ranked #1 03&05 #2 04 in NFLE also responsible for
coaching RB/TE position, whilst developing national player programme.
coached OL & DL in Team Europe high school programme for NFLE for
Global Junior Championship - placed 7 athletes in NCAA colleges during
this time
00-99 coaches Glasgow Junior Lions to 4 divisional championships

Coah Don Edmonston

Playing
since 1988 with Fife 49ers
97-99 with Stirling broncos
2005 - present wolves

94 capital bowl mvp
team scotland captain
GB Lions 91 euro gold winner in helsinki bronze medal in 97 bolzano
Gb captain
selected as claymore in claymores first season 95

coaching
OL Fife 49ers
OC stirling 97
hc stirling 98-9
team scotland youth DL
OL Coach GB Lions 07-present

Wolves
OL & S&C 05
HC 06- Present

Fife Fire OC 06- PRESENT
HC fortht valley fusion youth 08-

Qualified sports therapist
degree in sports science
currently doing honours degree at Napier Uni Edinburgh

Coach Riq Ayub

Head coach of London Olympians 1994-2008
10 British National Championship wins
3 Euro Bowl wins

Head coach of GB Lions Senior squad 1996-present

Coach Jim Messenger

1985 - 88: Played WR for Southend Sabres and Essex Buccaneers
1987 - 88: Offensive Coordinator Southend Sabres
1988: Special teams coordinator, Chelmsford Cherokee
1989 - 1990: Offensive Coordinator, Essex Buccaneers
1990 - 1992: Head Coach, Southend Sabres Youth - 2 x National Champions
1993 - 1996: Head Coach, Southend Sabres
1994 - 1996: Offensive Coordinator, GB Crusaders (Youth)
1997 - 1998: Defensive Coordinator, Hertfordshire Hurricanes - University National Champions
1998 - 2002: Offensive Coordinator, London Olympians - 4 x National Champions
1999 - Present: Head Coach, Hertfordshire Hurricanes - 3 x University National Champions
2000: Head Coach, GB University Bulldogs
2002 - 2006: Offensive Coordinator, GB Lions Seniors

1994 - 1996: Vice-President, BAFCA
1996 - 1999: President, BAFCA
2003 - Present: President, BAFCA
2006 - Honourary Master of Science, Hertfordshire University

2008: IFAF Technical Committee member

Also Simon Hatcher and NFLE and BAFA Technical Director Simon Newnham will be giving clinics.

***Now...some advice for attending:

The Days Hotel Santry is the recommended accomodation..quote IAFL when booking

Bring a video camera or dictaphone to record the fri sessions!

Also bring field kit for sunday.

We encourage you all to have your players attend on sunday...once they are over 18 and bring full equipment.Cost to players on the day is €10 ..for which they'll be coached by 60 Coaches minimum!!

We are looking for prospective board members for the sunday..please speak to myself or Coach Mark Lawless if interested in helping get IAFCA moving!

My number is 0863022286 if you have any questions or need directions on the day.

There is parking available in DCU.

The event is being sponsored in part by ISC,Vidswap.com and Rockstar Energy Drink.


Full schedule is below.

Any questions as I said please speak to myself at 00353 86 3022286 or Coach Mark Lawless 00353 860730633.

I look forward to seeing you all there Coaches!

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS

Friday 12th Sept
3pm-9pm
DCU Henry Grattan Building
Various Lectures on Football



Sat 13th Sept
9am-5pm
DCU Henry Grattan Building
BAFCA Level One Course
Simon Hatcher,Don Edmondson,Riq Ayib

9am-5pm
DCU Henry Grattan Building
BAFCA Level Two-QB's
Jim Messenger

9am -5pm
DCU Henry Grattan Building
BAFCA Level Two-O-Line
Steve McCusker

9am -5pm
DCU Henry Grattan Building
BAFCA Level Two-D-Line
Simon Newnham


5.30pm-7pm
DCU Henry Grattan Building
IAFCA AGM
Chaired by Mark Lawless


8.30-late
Venue TBC
IAFCA Coach of the Year Award
IAFCA


Sun 14th Sept
9am-2pm
DCU Sports Field
GB Lions Coaches to Players Clinic
GB Lions Coaching Staff