The Namibia Football Association (NFA) is hosting a grassroots coaching course for new coaches working with children from the ages of 6-12, and in particular academy coaches and school teachers.

The course which kicked off on Tuesday will run until Friday before it is extended to Walvis Bay from 01-04 November.

It is funded by the Global United FC and Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

NFA Acting Technical Director Jacqueline Shipanga who is also instructing the course emphasized the importance of grassroots football saying it allows the sport to be discovered by as many people as possible and the best way to attract children is to give them playing opportunities in their own safe environment.

Shipanga in a media statement on Wednesday said grassroots football is for everyone, anytime and anywhere, with a concept of bringing society together through the most popular sport in the world.

‘This grassroots coaching course advocates exchanges, sharing positive values and promotes fun in playing football,” she said.

She also said the essential element of grassroots football is fun with the concept of learning through play while being guided by a coach and is a specific approach designed to reach out to children.

Grassroots coaches must, therefore, have the core competencies to work with children and must respect their physical, mental, emotional and growth characteristics, she said.

The course is attended by 31 participants with former Namibia Brave Warriors captain Collin Benjamin also instructing the course while the mentee instructors are Arnold Subeb and Diina Shitula.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency