Manager and Head Coach: Jamie Williams

Jamie Williams is a UEFA B Level 3 qualified FA coach. He gained his Level 1 certificate in August, 2003 and his Level 2 Coaching Certificate in September, 2004 when he was still only 17, the youngest to qualify at that level in the county. In November 2007 he achieved his Level 3 In Coaching Football Certificate (UEFA B) at the age of 20. Jamie also holds FA qualifications in Coaching Disabled Footballers, Age Appropriate Coaching, Level 1 Soccer Psychology, FA Tops Tutor qualifications and Refereeing Laws of the Game. He also has experience in coaching Multi Skills activities, focussing on children's Fundamental Skills for a wide range of sports.

Jamie has vast experience in coaching youth football at both a professional and voluntary level. Jamie began his coaching career working as a coach for Northumberland Football Partnership while still a student at Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham. During this time he worked alongside some outstanding coaches, from whom he learned key values, attitude and techniques that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Jamie has also worked as Tynedale Community Sports Development Officer and has coached a range of age groups across the North East for Newcastle United Football in the Community and in a guest capacity with Northumberland FA. These experiences gave Jamie the confidence and drive to launch his own professional coaching company when still only 20. Soccer Active started from scratch in the summer of 2007 with the help of a modest starter business grant from Northumberland County Council. In a short space of time Jamie has developed a fast-growing customer base and a quickly-established track record of successful and popular activities.

As well as establishing his own business Jamie continually strives to develop his own personal coaching skills and knowledge and one day hopes to be a manager or coach linked with a professional football club. In addition to his business Jamie currently manages and coaches successful Under 10s and Under 13s football teams in his own time, contributing over ten hours per week on a voluntary basis. He had enjoyed his own junior football so much that he wanted to help provide a rich experience for a new generation; he learned from his own mentors how important it is to learn good technique at an early age and always to be striving for improvement while having fun. In fact, he believes, the greatest fun is in achieving excellence in your own skill set while contributing positively to the whole team.

In junior football these days you can see two extremes in the adults and parents involved in the game. On the one hand there are some coaches and parents who want to win at all costs. They can often be seen on the touchline haranguing and shouting at their players and at the referee. On the other hand there are those who believe there should be no competitive element at all. They don’t like to see winners and trophies and believe that “everyone should have a prize”. Often the goals aren’t counted for fear it will breed a competitive attitude in the children.

Jamie's interest is in football development, which means providing the best possible conditions and coaching to allow each player to grow and, because football is a team game, nurturing teamwork, interdependence and the appropriate team spirit. For Jamie, the two extremes outlined above are obstacles to development in their different ways.
Jamie's philosophy is that the most important attributes in football are a passionate will to improve footballing skill and a positive, supportive team spirit.