20 inmates at Wheatfield Prison awarded FAI Adult Amateur Coaching Licence

UP TO 20 inmates of Wheatfield Prison were awarded an FAI Adult Amateur Coaching Licence at a ceremony in the jail.

The course, run by the Irish Prison Service, in partnership with the FAI and St Patrick’s Athletic, gives selected inmates the chance to enter the adult education programme.

The course was designed and led by St Patrick’s Athletic’ Director of Football Ger O’Brien and will enable all licence holders to coach in the adult amateur game and integrate into Irish football on their release.

Mr O’Brien thanked the graduates for their commitment, saying a lot of the course is about helping inmates “improve on everything” before they are released.

“Their interpersonal skills, how they communicate with other people and learning to trust other people.

“This is just as important as getting a degree when it comes to getting a job,” he said.

The FAI’s Head of Coach Education, Niall O’Regan, said the course is educational first but uses the practicality of football to get people who may not be totally comfortable with adult learning to engage through the medium of sport.

“This course teaches valuable life skills, even in things like handing a project in on time, you learn the importance of timekeeping and deadlines.

“Or teamwork, they have to come together to create training plans – that’s a life skill that will translate to the outside world,” said Mr O’Regan.

Speakers at the event included Wheatfield prison Governor Des O’Shea and approved prisoners in the project.

The course is run over seven weeks – four classroom based for theory and three practical on the pitch.