News

During the 2025 European Snooker Championships in the Grand Blu FaFa Resort/Golem a Coaching Course was held from the 12th-15th of October at the European Championships in Albania.

Head of EBSA Coaching PJ Nolan held a EBSA Coaching Course on behalf of the European Billiards & Snooker Association to train 6 new Official EBSA Snooker Coaches.  

The EBSA Coaching Course is a three-day intensive training course which is only open to recognised coaches who are approved by their own National Governing Body. The six nominated coaches from Belgium, Lithuania and Albania qualified from this successful course.

Our New Coaches

The six nominated coaches were Eddy Michhoudt from Belgium, Roman Baradulin from Lithuania and Edlir Kurthysa, Alfred KAÇI, Muhamet Ajrullahu, Ardian Lenjani from Albania.

PJ said ‘’It was great to see more countries wanting to send their coaches for this EBSA training course and it is great to have new coaches to join our EBSA Coaching team.

All of the six coaches had a great passion to help grow the game in their own country. We are delighted to have six more EBSA coaches join our EBSA team and help the EBSA grow the game all around Europe.

WPBSA

The coaches also attended a one-day online WPBSA seminar on Child Protection with WPBSA head of Coaching Chris Lovell on the 13th of October.  The coaches will now receive equivalent grade to the WPBSA Level 1 Coach so they can begin a pathway to level 2 WPBSA Coach in the future if they wish.

Syllabus

The EBSA Snooker Coaching syllabus includes a practical exam as well as verbal and written exams covering all the techniques and skills of coaching the game of snooker.

This Coaching course covered all aspects of the game from Planning Sessions, Designing Routines, Role of a Coach, Sports Psychology, Rules of the Game, Practice Exercises, Written Records, Safety Play, Shot Selection, Oral Assessment, Preparation for Match- Play, Physical and Mental Etiquette and on the final day they completed the EBSA coaching written exam.

New Training Program

The new coaches will create a training program and manual in their country to help train and guide the players. The coaches will now begin their probation period where they will complete all the necessary assignments to graduate in becoming a fully accredited EBSA Coaches later on this year.

The EBSA have now 105 registered EBSA Coaches approved by the NGB with full EBSA accreditation promoting the game all around Europe which goes well for the future of the game all across Europe.

Thank You

PJ thanked EBSA President Maxime Cassis who was on hand to present the coaches with their certificates on the final day of the course. EBSA would also like to thank Chris Lovell and all the WPBSA Team for holding the online seminar for our coaches.

PJ wishes the new EBSA coaches the best of luck in developing their coaching skills and completing their homework assignments in graduating as full EBSA Coaches later this year.

Big final thank you goes to EBSA Coach Alexander Sabljak from Croatia for assisting me on the course and to the Albanian Snooker Federation and the European Billiards & Snooker Association for hosting this successful Coach Training Course.