THE Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) last week completed another of its C License coaching courses at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
And during this course, there were participants from LifeSport, the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) a number of ex national players such as Lyndon “Chubby” Andrews who all benefitted from the association’s continuing education programme.
Andrews, who was a creative central midfielder, has represented Trinidad and Tobago at all the different divisions, beginning at under-14 level and going right up to the senior national team. He also played in Scotland for Hibernian along with TT’s midfield maestro Russell Latapy.
The course, designed in conjunction with the Dutch KNVB ran for four days and was overseen by TTFA Technical Director Anton Corneal with support from lecturers Rajesh Latchoo, Marlon Charles, Richard Martin, Jamaal Shabazz along with NGB coach and administrative development officer Damien Daniel.
Corneal described the course as another step towards increasing the number of coaches in the country who can play a pivotal role in the development at the youth and grassroots level.
“This kind of training for our local coaches who ply their trade throughout the different communities in an attempt to become top national coaches, are essential for our development at the lower levels such as grassroots and youth football,” Corneal said.
“It was quite pleasing to see the turn out of those from Life-sport, UTT and other ex-national players. And for many if not all of them, they agreed that the course was an eye opener in that so many things were new to them and they realised that coaching is not something you can just pick up one day by entering a field and giving instructions to players,” added the FIFA grassroots instructor.
Among the areas focused on during the course were principles of coaching; the role of the coach; the teaching- learning process; communication; ethics; Coaches being able to assess their players’ developmental and training age and design; Coaches being able to plan and implement an effective training session with specific objectives, and to develop a progressive programme of appropriate duration.
Areas targeted through the course also include coaches being able to introduce a range of techniques to and develop and monitor effective skills in their players; Coaches being able to understand the main moments of football and relate it to team task and function; Coaches being able to identify and develop personal and professional behaviours in themselves and players and coaches being able to identify the basic elements that make up football among other areas.