While the volume is true, there are literally thousands of us volunteers out there every weekend trying to put football on for kids of all abilities
I did my Level 1 in 2009 (paid for by my club and subsidised by McDonalds), didnt see the point in continuing up the ladder (there are only 5 levels - 1, 2, UEFA B, UEFA A then UEFA PRO), because as a 'sunday league coach', I cant justify the cost and time to do the others
Level 2 is a couple of weekends studying (which is OK), but then 12 assessments over a period of time, and costs several hundred pounds to complete. I was tempted but couldnt justify the cost
However a UEFA B licence is literally months of studying and assessment, and I dread to think on the others (presume UEFA A and Pro you have to be coaching under observation at the top level)
Cost and time are the issues - the level 1 is around £130, but there arent enough courses - every one on the Staffs FA website gets filled in minutes.
On top of that there are the demands of continuous renewal of CRB/DBB for criminal disclosure (not the same one if you have a cricket one, or a school one, or any other CRB, no you have to pay for a special FA one - money making racket) - thats renewable every 3 years
Then the Safeguarding course - another £15-20 every 3 years - 4 hours of your life you cannot get back!
And the first aid course - up to £50 to attend one every 3 years
Our club as Standard Chartered with the FA needs a Child Welfare Officer (thats me as well...), another course and £20-30 cost
Muggins here is also local branch secretary dealing with everybody elses issues too!
They wonder why people dont want to do it, and thats before they keep changing the rules every couple of years (strangely after another England shocker) - what that has to do with 6 year olds in local mini leagues is beyond me!
Time, money, effort -
and the FAs, for all the gazillions they make, plough literally NOTHING back into pitches, facilities, training and coaching, help and support - its all done by the goodwill and endeavours of local volunteers.
Our pitches here are a fecking disgrace, our council barely reseeds them, they arent cut for months on end, burn the lines in to save doing them again, allow dog walkers to shit all over them without penalty, and are all by the local park so all week long kids play on them (which is their perogative) but means by December all the grass has gone from the goalmouth!
I look forward to away games at Milton etc where its all lush :-)
We do what we can though!