The East Bank Football Association (EBFA), in its continuing effort to ensure that coaches attached to its affiliated clubs are conscious of their roles and responsibilities, yesterday hosted a Coaches Awareness Workshop that was facilitated by the association’s Technical Advisor, Winston Benons.
The activity was held at the Timehri Community Centre and saw participation from eight (8) of the association’s 12 clubs. President of the Guyana Football Coaches Association (GFCA), Sampson Gilbert, delivered feature remarks and declared open the workshop.
Gilbert, who was recently elevated to the presidency of the association, sought to enlighten the participants on the direction the EBFA will be going, so as to heighten coaches’ training and eventual certification.
The National U-17 Coach noted that the history of the game would show that Guyana has always been competitive, and has always produced good players: “But the one thing we could say from a national perspective is that the level of coaches’ education has caused us to realise where we were, where we are, and where we could be in a few years.”
He alluded to the fact that the thirteen Academy Training Centres (ATC) that have been established around Guyana are collectively an important pillar in local development, and coaches have an important role to play in the ATCs’ continued advancement; but they must subject themselves to be appropriately trained.
“In order for you to be a good teacher, you must be educated in how, what, where and when; and these academy training centres provide the opportunity for us as coaches to work and develop not only the players, but ourselves. (They give) us the opportunity to work and be educated.”
The attendees were enlightened on their roles and responsibilities as teachers of the world’s most beautiful game, and the importance of being positive role models to their charges.
Benons, commenting on the outcome of the workshop, informed that the objectives were achieved, in that the participants are more aware of what is expected of them on and off the field of play. He also shared that the programme is designed to prepare coaches for eventual certification at the GFF level.
Gilbert also took the opportunity to answer questions from the participants in relation to coaches’ certification, pointing out that the process includes individuals desirous of pursuing such a career showing consistent interest by attending the many ATCs that are held on a weekly basis around Guyana.
He said coaches also need to learn the art of communicating among themselves with the aim of sharing and learning from each other. Integrity and trust, he noted, are also important attributes every coach should possess.
