Seize the opportunity!
That was the message from Barbados Football Association (BFA) technical director Philip Marin as the organisation strives to strengthen its coaching education programme and pursue regional recognition for its qualifications.
Marin was speaking yesterday during the opening of a five-day CONCACAF C Diploma workshop at the BFA’s Technical Centre, Wildey, St Michael, and outlined the association’s progress in coach development and its ambitions to improve standards across the domestic game.
He explained that the workshop formed part of the BFA’s efforts to become a member of the CONCACAF Coaching Convention, which seeks to improve the standard and quality of coaching education throughout the region.
Auditors
The two CONCACAF auditors overseeing the process are Lenny Lake from St Kitts and Nevis and Andre Virtue from Jamaica, who will evaluate the BFA’s coaching education programme to determine whether it meets the required standards.
A decision on Barbados’ membership is expected in late November or December.
Addressing the 16 participants, Marin said regional recognition would allow coaches holding CONCACAF licences to pursue opportunities across participating member associations.
“What we want is that when you receive a CONCACAF licence, you will be able to travel within the region and go and work with other member associations that are part of the coaching convention,” he explained.
“That is our goal, and that is what we want for Barbados coaches.”
Marin also revealed that the current workshop was the association’s fifth “C” Diploma or Licence course since the programme began in 2016.
During that period, the BFA has educated 75 coaches at “C” Licence level, with approximately 16 subsequently advancing to the “B” Licence.
“We want to see how we could improve the BFA Premier League and how we could have these coaches within the league with a minimum of a ‘C’ Licence for now. Then later on, they move to ‘B’.”
The initiative also aligns with CONCACAF’s wider coaching education objectives.
Marin said the confederation aimed to have all member associations participating in the coaching convention by 2030, while setting a target for coaches working in top leagues and senior national teams to hold “A” Licences by that year.
Looking further ahead, he indicated that the professional level would ultimately be the standard for coaches working in the BFA Premier League and with Barbados’ senior men’s and women’s national teams.
BFA vice-president Fabian Wharton reinforced the importance of formal education, warning that playing experience alone did not necessarily equip individuals with the knowledge required to coach effectively.
Wharton encouraged participants to use the five-day programme to assess their abilities, exchange experiences and learn collectively rather than approach the course as an individual exercise.
He stressed that the benefits extended beyond technical instruction, arguing that developing knowledgeable coaches and capable individuals throughout football was essential to the sport’s continued growth locally.
“For me, this is not only about coaching, but this is also about the development of the individuals that we have around football. We must develop a cadre of not only coaches, but individuals around football, who can then pass on those types of traits that we are looking for within the game. That is the only way the game will grow positively.” (JC)