The South African Football Coaches Association symposium

The South African Football Coaches Association symposium sought to address issues of unity and working together of coaching and work out a national football philosophy and the implementation of development programs. Networking and interaction encouraged improvement and development of quality coaching. South Africa saw the rise, fall and demise of the potential global giant and therefore, coaches searched their football soul henceforth.

The encouraging way forward included discouragement of short tournaments that are events of anti-development compared for with longer competitive league arrangements. The league without worry of promotion and relegation laced with incentives and motivation to participate and compete are adequate tools to develop the game from grassroots.

The vision would border along the lines of an effective, inclusive, cohesive and ethical organisation. Coaches needed to understand that the development specialisation of training to learn, training to train, training to compete and training to win remained a priority in their quest for excellence in engaging stakeholders in the beautiful game.

Youth training should reflect that the game was both art and science providing the satisfaction, success and reward. Brain training rather than physical development needed prioritisation for mental activation and stimulation while taking into account the emotions and feeling of the players. In all stages of training, creativity, expression and improvisation are encouraged.

The fluidity of mobile and dynamic training from an early age until maturity are unnegotiable. Simplicity of sessions and programs allow better and efficient technique development from simple to complex situation. However, coaches appreciate how complicated it is to play simple.

Like learner drivers under the supervision of a drivers’ instructor, all aspects of the game are trained upon simultaneously, concurrently or in quick succession.  This was the summary of Simon Ngomane, the head of Technical Commitee and Sipho Dlangalala of youth development.