The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
IN a development that could see the level of competition in schools football improve, the Zimbabwe Soccer Coaches Association (Zisca) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with both the National Association of Primary Heads (Naph) as well as the National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash). Under the MoU, Zisca will train coaches from primary and secondary schools. The coaches body has also requested its members who are not attached to any clubs to volunteer their services to schools close to their places of residence. Zisca national secretary-general Oscar Mazhambe disclosed that they took that decision after realising that not all coaches who get their qualification can find clubs to be attached to.
“Coaches must assist in their nearest schools, we saw that some of our coaches are not practicing after failing to get clubs so we have asked them to donate services to their nearest school, that problem of coaches being idle will be a thing of the past. We recently held a Level One for Naph teachers where 51 coaches were trained at Robert Tredgold and we have a Level Two for Nash starting Monday 25 April at Eveline,’’ said Mazhambe.
A Level One for secondary school teachers which was supposed to take place at Eveline starting last Sunday was called off due to a poor response where only 11 coaches pitched up while the target was 20 mentors.
Mazhambe said their regulations do not allow a coach to be fast tracked through the qualification process and all mentors have to go through one year of practicing before they proceed to the next level.
“A coach must have a one year practicing period until the next year, there is no way one can go up to Level Four in just a year, we are against fast tracking, we don’t look at names, we follow procedure,’’ Mazhambe said.
On the MoU with Naph and Nash, he said both associations have given Zisca their blessings to train teachers to become coaches. They have targeted schools in Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North as well as some parts of Midlands.
“The MoU has been signed, that is why they gave us the green light to train the teachers in Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North and some parts of Midlands. In Bulawayo we are earmarking 106 primary schools, 800 schools in Matabeleland North, our team of instructors will be going to all these areas. School Development Associations will pay the $50 per teacher, we have given them a discount because we usually charge $100. Initially we had spoken to Naph and Nash that we don’t want to see teachers without coaching qualifications on the team bench, the coaches must have at least Level One, it is now up to Naph and Nash to implement that. Football is certainly going to improve, this is going to help develop technique for the kids,’’ Mazhambe said.
Gibson Homela and Mazhambe have conducted all the coaching courses. A Level Four course is scheduled for May in Bulawayo and is open to all coaches who qualify.
