Cameron Toshack becomes first Swansea City coach to graduate ECAS
18th January
Under-23s coach Cameron Toshack has graduated through the Premier League's Elite Coach Apprenticeship Scheme (ECAS) - the first at the club to do so.
The two-year intense development programme aims to educate and develop elite coaches dedicated to producing better homegrown players across youth football.
Toshack, who alongside counterpart Gary Richards has guided Swans U23s to the top of Premier League 2 (Division 2) and International Cup quarter-final this season, undertook the course alongside 11 other coaches from Premier League clubs, including former Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo.
The course is delivered through a combination of seven residential workshops, international coaching placements, plus the opportunity to learn through guest speakers from other elite sports and a military survival weekend.
"ECAS was a fantastic opportunity to learn, grow and expand my knowledge alongside a number of other Premier League coaches," Toshack said.
"During my two years on the course I was lucky enough to study and learn how three La Liga teams (Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao and Villareal) work with both senior and youth football.
"Our cohort also had the opportunity to interact with and learn from coaches from a variety of disciplines including British Olympics, England Rugby and British tennis as well as work with world renowned figures in their field around leadership such as former Director of Communications to Prime Minister Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell and the worldwide Leader of Saatchi and Saatchi Kevin Roberts.
"I am very proud to have been part of the course and to be the first to represent Swansea City. It consolidated my thinking about the transferable skills between different environments and importance of developing a strong culture and environment, this is a key theme for all high performing teams.
"I feel I was able to take something from a variety of experiences and transfer them back into our club.
"The aim is to make us as coaches better leaders and for us to pay that forward to the next generation of players and staff we work with.
"It is a fantastic course - I met a number of great people. The speakers opened my eyes with how transferable skills are from business and other sports into football and how football would benefit in the future from a more open mindset.
"I have been able to use some of the contacts made whilst on the course and their expertise within our U23 group this year and believe that it is helping guide us. Our success this season, with the goals we have set within the group are firmly aligned to the principles we have taken on board."
Swansea City currently has three other academy coaches progressing through the ECAS programme.
