News
EBSA qualify 11 New Coaches
During the 2026 European Snooker Championships in the Palace Hotel in Gandia at the European Snooker Championships from the 6th -8th of March. Head of EBSA Coaching PJ Nolan held a EBSA Coaching Course on behalf of the European Billiards & Snooker Association to train 11 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, Spain and North Macedonia qualified from this successful course.
Our New Coaches
The 11 nominated coaches were Daan Leyssen Janssens Spain, Aleix Melià Alomà Spain, Alexis Saez Padilla Spain, José Ignacio Enciso Gimeno Spain, Juan Sahagún Pareja Spain, Eric Ruiz Ardevines Spain, Chema Cortes Spain, Filip Kalanoski North Macedonia, Sashko Kalanoski North Macedonia and Alain Vandersteen from Belgium.
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 eleven new coaches to join our EBSA Coaching team.
All of the coaches had a great passion to help grow the game in their own country. We are delighted to have eleven 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 6th of March. 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 this year.
The EBSA have now 116 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 new EBSA Assistant Head Coach Alexander Sabljak from Croatia for assisting me on the course and to the Spanish Snooker Federation and the European Billiards & Snooker Association for hosting this successful Coach Training Course.
