During the 2026 European Snooker Championships in the Ramada Sofia City Centre Hotel in Bulgaria, Head of EBSA Coaching PJ Nolan held a EBSA Coaching Course on behalf of the European Billiards & Snooker Association to train nine Official EBSA Snooker Coaches from the 17th – 19th of September.
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 nine nominated coaches from Switzerland, Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Belgium, Malta and Poland qualified from this successful course.
New Coaches
Two of nominated coaches were our own Con Walsh & Shane Gorman from Republic of Ireland. Both were excellent on the course and were presented with their certs from EBSA President Maxime Cassis and PJ Nolan.
Con Walsh and Shane Gorman had already completed the SBI Intro level and Level 1 Courses in Ireland under Coaching Ireland. They both performed excellent on the EBSA Course in Bulgaria and are very active within the SBI Junior and Disability game in Ireland.
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.
WPBSA
The coaches also attended an online WPBSA seminar on Child Protection with WPBSA head of Coaching Chris Lovell. 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.
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 124 registered EBSA Coaches approved by the NGB from 33 countries with full EBSA accreditation promoting the game all around Europe which goes well for the future of the game across Europe.
Great to have Irishmen on EBSA Team
PJ said ‘’It was great to see Con and Shane join our EBSA Team as both have a great passion to help grow the game. EBSA are delighted to have two more Irish coaches join our EBSA team.
Everyone involved within Snooker & Billiards Ireland Congratulate Con and Shane on passing the exam and it all bodes well for Ireland Snooker in the future.
