Over 36 football coaches in the West Coast Region of The Gambia were beneficiaries of a 2-day training course recently organised by UK-based charity Vogue Holiday Volunteers in collaboration with their partners Lamin Sports Development Task Force.
According to the Coordinator of Vogue Holiday Volunteers Ms Jazz E Brown, the 2-day training held at the Brikama Boxbar Mini Stadium facilitated by the West Coast Regional Football Coaches Association, was part of a pilot programme for what was expected to be a long term Sports Skills Exchange Programme during which Gambian Sports personnel would interact with their UK counterparts for reciprocal knowledge sharing. She mentioned that the skills Exchange Programme also includes teacher training.
Kimberly Gilliland, a football coach trainer with a UEFA B license and a Level 1 futsal and goalkeeping badge bearer, says the session is staged with view of enhancing capacity of Gambian coaches.
She urged Gambia coaches to be positive role models on and off the field and to love what they do in order to make a difference in their career. The training covered First Aid, Sports Injures, Diet/Nutrition, Coaching Coaches, and Coaching Football Teams.
The General Secretary of West Regional Football Coaches Association Yahya Manneh described the training as a positive step in his association’s capacity development efforts for its members.
The Chairman of Lamin Sports Development Task Lamin Camara, spoke of the importance of training but added that what was more important is imparting knowledge into the children to turn them into professionals that the country can be proud of.
