The Sunday News
Sports Correspondent
HIGHLANDERS FC is set to embark on an ambitious youth development programme that will see the football giants adopt Robert Tredgold Primary School, before spreading their wings by conducting coaching clinics for primary schools across the city. Confirming the latest initiative by the country’s oldest football institution, Highlanders’ chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said they would be launching the programme before the end of the month.
He said the project is aimed at developing young talent while at the same time equipping teachers with the necessary skills they should pass on to young players.
“We are aiming at skills development in young pupils rather than just having teachers throw young players into the field and telling them to play against each other without teaching them specific skills such as heading, chest control, ball control and dribbling. Cultivating skills in young footballers at a tender age is critical if they are going to become good players as they grow older,’’ said Gumede, adding:
“The programme will also be a springboard for teachers at participating schools to acquire formal training for junior development coaching.”
The project could develop the much needed player base where Highlanders can tap from in future and the veteran administrator said they were looking at “reaping the rewards” in the long run.
Gumede said instead of 11 v 11 situations, they would divide the field into six or eight partitions with each section dealing with a specific skill with the participating pupils taken through all the sessions by a team of coaches from Highlanders.
“Teachers responsible for football at the schools would be assigned duties to lead or demonstrate different skills as they move from section to section. The teachers of the schools visited may be invited to attend training sessions of the main Highlanders team and a week long coaching course will be arranged for interested teachers. If there is interest, an introductory course on referees may also be run,” he said.
The veteran administrator said Robert Tredgold would be their “baby” as they would constantly hold training sessions at the school while other schools will benefit from once-off coaching clinics.
“Under the Adopt-A-School programme, the identified school will have a continual presence of Highlanders FC junior coaches. On a weekly basis the children will be seen through training sessions suitable for their level. Competitive aspects are subsequently introduced where skills previously acquired under skills development are now integrated with tactical play. A parallel programme of indentifying pupils that want to be trained as referees will be running beginning with the theoretical aspects and leading to practicals,” said Gumede, adding that such junior referees would be able to handle school games competently and may be interested in pursuing the hobby as a career.
He said teachers responsible for football at the adopted school will be afforded an opportunity to understudy the Highlanders coaching staff.
Gumede said they will make use of their coaches who are tasked with the responsibility of grooming young people; who include Dumaza Dube, who has participated in a Fifa grassroots development programme.
He said ORAP has already donated 100 balls that will be used specifically in this programme, adding that while they have laid down the groundwork for the project they were still looking for more partners.
“There are areas of equipment such as cone and bibs, transport and snacks where we still need partners to come on board if the project is to be a success. We are in talks with some sponsors and hope by the time we kick off we would have secured the necessary funding,” said Gumede.
The former Zifa vice-president said the availability of the balls may lead to the programme being spread to other provinces particularly rural schools where there is so much untapped talent.
He said schools in Bulawayo will be the main beneficiaries of the project with some rural schools also having the privilege of being visited by Bosso coaches.
Gumede said the programme was endorsed at the club’s extraordinary general meeting held last Sunday and is part of efforts to meet Fifa’s Club Licensing regulations, which state that clubs should have a vibrant junior development section.
The official launch would be held at Robert Tredgold before month end, said Gumede.
