With a trainee coaching body of 16, the Anguilla Football Association, in an effort to grow and develop football in Anguilla, hosted the first Concacaf D-License training course guided by local instructors. Coaching Educators, Nigel Linton and Colin Johnson, facilitated the 6-day in-house theory phase of the training course guiding trainees into understanding and implementing topics relevant to coaching children ages 6 to 12.
Within the course, coaches were given the opportunity to execute all elements taught in the classroom on the field with male and female primary school students at the grassroots age. After each session they were immediately evaluated and given advice on how to improve sessions in the future.
On the 2nd weekend of the course, the coaches were given basic instructions, and with the experience gained from the first weekend they were entrusted with the task of facilitating the first Grassroots Football Festival in Anguilla at the Raymond E. Guishard Technical Centre where their knowledge, improvisation abilities, and their individual ability to cope under pressure, were tested. The coaches in training exceeded the expectations of both mentors and educators – conducting themselves maturely, humbly and professionally thereby making the festival a success and, in the process propelled the inauguration and further development of grassroots football in Anguilla.
With the knowledge and experience acquired, each coach was assigned to an established grassroots academy or a primary school football team to complete the 6-week practical component of the D-License Course. They will be guided, along the way, by their mentors and randomly visited and evaluated by the educators so that they can become well prepared, able, and knowledgeable coaches who will continue to flourish and groom the future of football in Anguilla.
– Contributed
