Foundation coach helps teach new generation at PL Singapore programme
BHAFC Foundation coach Will Brickell was part of the Premier League’s NEXTGEN Coach programme to Singapore.
Will, Education and Employability Development Officer at the Foundation, was invited to go to Singapore to help develop grassroots coaches from across the region.
Premier League legends Joe Cole and Nemanja Vidic were also part of the programme, which focused on strengthening coaching at grassroots level and widening inclusive participation.
The NEXTGEN programme equips local coaches with the practical skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver high-quality football experiences in their communities.
Through structured training and ongoing development, coaches are empowered to create positive, welcoming environments where young people can develop not only as players, but also in confidence and character.
Premier League Director of Community Nick Perchard said: “We are delighted to follow up on the community coach programme we delivered in Singapore last year by delivering our NEXTGEN Coach programme. This will hugely benefit local coaches, providing them with expert training and skills that will cascade into the communities they coach in.
“After opening the League’s first international office in Singapore more than seven years ago, we are now building on our commitment to the country with a structured coach development programme. We are dedicated to using our reach and popularity to develop football at a grassroots level globally and provide unique development opportunities for coaches and young people who love the game.
“We thank the Football Association of Singapore and Care Corner for their support in launching this programme, which offers structured training and professional development for the coaches. I am confident that the local coaches will take the skills they have learned on the programme back into their communities to make a long-lasting impact on grassroots football in Singapore.”
Local grassroots coaches were guided by Premier League and club coaches in three days of structured training to gain hands-on experience in delivering inclusive, community-focused sessions. This year’s cohort consisted of 30 coaches from a wide variety of backgrounds selected by the FAS to ensure the programme reaches individuals best placed to benefit from the experience.
FAS General Secretary Badri Ghent said: “Youth development is a key priority for FAS, and it starts at the grassroots level. Coaches play a central role in shaping not just how young players learn the game, but how they experience it, building confidence, character and a lifelong connection to football.
“Programmes like NEXTGEN Coach equip grassroots coaches with the skills, values and approaches to deliver inclusive, high-quality sessions in their communities – creating a multiplier effect that strengthens our football ecosystem.
“This collaboration also brings together the Premier League’s global expertise and FAS’s local insight to deliver a programme that is relevant and impactful for our community. We thank the Premier League and Care Corner for their continued partnership in advancing grassroots football in Singapore.”