17 Nov 2016

For quite some time, football development from a tender age in Ngamiland region has been stagnant.

However, things are slowly changing as different football academies are emerging across the region.

A coaching clinic by a volunteer coach, Dimpho Molatlhegi, aged 37 of Botshabelo ward in Maun whose focus is to develop football from grassroot level, is already in operation.

Molatlhegi who hails from Molepolole in the Kweneng district and has a passion for football activities,  has grouped young kids to equip them with football tactics.

In an interview, he said his aim was to get kids out of streets and keep them busy through the game of football to help them avoid activities such as indulging in drugs and alcohol abuse.

His target is primary school students aged six to thirteen years.

He said his initiatve was given the green light by the parents as they saw it as a welcome development  to sharpen and develop their children’s football skills.

He further explained that he saw it fit to provide coaching clinics on the young footballers to develop and sharpen their skills and tactics at a tender age, as they were more likely to grasp the content at a younger age than when matured.

According to Molatlhegi, sportexperts had found out that sport and  mental development  goes hand in hand, hence physical exercise boost mental wellbeing ,  thus promotes excellent academic results amongst students.

He further said all children were not academically gifted the same.
Thus, he said some could end up future football stars.

He noted that social ills amongst young people, were worrying and he believed that sport could be one activity that could make them busy and refrain from activities that would ruin their future lives.

“I believe the clinic would keep them busy and reduce rooming around the streets and change the mindset of grooving and clubbing at the liquor places,” he said.

He said his love for football development  in children started way back when he used to play for Newtown Highlanders in Molepolole. At the time, he said he had volunteered to coach and train Kutlwano Primary School in Molepolole.

He said his ambition was to officially register the football academy called Botshabelo Soccer School of Excellence.
Molatlhegi pleaded with the nation at large to support his project.

Currently, he said needed training equipment like soccer balls, kits, soccer boots, cones, nets and other equipment, which would enable him to develop football at a grass root level.
He said with their support, he could develop football and produce quality players who would eventually be absorbed by big teams in the premier league. BOPA