Coach Kicks: Alison Nicholl (Coleraine Ladies FC and Northern Ireland U17s)

In October 2018 Alison Nicholl became the first woman from Northern Ireland to gain the UEFA Pro Licence, twelve years after a trip to help with kit turned a hobby into a career. She is head coach of the Northern Ireland Under-17s, coaches and plays centre midfield for Coleraine Ladies, and holds a full-time role driving digital transformation at Invest Northern Ireland. Her sessions are small-sided and possession-based, working on first touch and body shape within a 4-2-3-1 played through the women’s teams. She names Megan Bell, Lauren Perry and Rebecca McKenna as the players who have made the biggest impression, and says the Pro Licence lessons were people-based: always start with a positive, learn what motivates a player, and accept that not everyone shares your values.