At least 25 local coaches, players and officials are better equipped to coach women’s football after completing a beginners’ course at the Barbados Olympic Association’s headquarters.
“I think this augurs well for the game because we’re in the embryonic stages of development of women’s football,” said Barbados Football Association (BFA) president Randy Harris, who was on hand for the presentation of certificates at Friday’s closing ceremony.
“The course was thorough, as thorough as it could be in a week and of course we expect the participants who attended the course would now assist the BFA in the development programmes and even bring new ideas to football, which is the most important part of us being here,” he added. “I think they will now see the football from a different perspective.”
The week-long course, which was conducted by Mexican FIFA instructor Andrea Rodebaugh, was a basic-level programme that covered teaching the fundamentals and understanding the differences between the men’s and women’s game.
“The idea is that we as coaches structure and organize all the concepts of the game because to have played is one thing but playing doesn’t make you an excellent coach,” explained Rodebaugh, who played for Mexico at the 1999 World Cup.
“You need to be able to transmit the ideas and in order to transmit you need to have these concepts and ideas very clear. So we begin to encourage them to see football as ideas, the theories, the concepts behind it and the technical, the tactical, the physical, the psychological and the differences between men’s and women’s football.
“We also want them to understand the importance of the coaches when it comes to development because development is not just the FA’s responsibility but we as coaches and we as players also play a part in the development,” she added.
Harris went on to say that he would like to see the course conducted on a yearly basis after Rodebaugh suggested the participants should continue to receive such education. (JM)