04 Aug 2022

Botswana Football Association (BFA) and Selebi Phikwe Regional Football Association recently held a coaching and mentoring skills clinic for Selebi Phikwe based coaches.

The training involved theory and practical sessions aimed at teaching coaches some techniques and how best they could work with children.

“We held a D-license coaching course, which is the first requirement for coaching and we invited community football coaches, teachers, former national team players and coaches from women football teams,” said BFA’s B-License instructor, Barobi Nwako, in an interview.

She said the training also touched on qualities of a coach, children’s rights, various coaching styles as well as mentoring young people to use their talent to earn a living.

She explained that gone were the days when sport was about playing in the field only, adding players should go an extra mile to participate in the development of their respective communities by imparting knowledge and skills on the young generation.

She said coaches had a mammoth task of ensuring that young people under their mentorship, excelled in the sport by developing the skill, motivation and fitness of the football players as well as mentoring them to become responsible citizens.

Nwako also emphasised the importance of education, adding through coaches, young players should be made to understand that they should also perform well academically.

Furthermore, she explained that she and her team were looking into establishing another centre for Re ba bona ha Programme at Botshabelo.The grassroot sports development sought to introduce sports to children between the ages of five and 15 throughout the country.  

She said Selebi Phikwe currently had one centre for this programme at Sam Sono Stadium, but it was realised that it needed to be extended to other areas because of the vastness of the town,.

She encouraged the community to support this initiative, which would help take children from the streets and develop them into responsible football stars who could use their talent to change their lives for the better.

Nwako also encouraged coaches to scout for talent and use skills imparted on them to improve their teams’ performance. ENDS