Oceania Football Confederation’s senior coaching course is being held in the Cook Islands for the first time this week offering coaches essential training tips.
Around 15 coaches are setting out on the path towards a senior coaching badge as OFC Technical Director Jim Selby takes them through the course this week and will then return in July to give assessments before awarding the OFC badges.
Selby says coaches will be able to call on local mentors for assistance leading up to the July assessments.
“Straight after this course, each coach can put the training into practice with their local team and be mentored by newly appointed CIFA Technical Director Maurice Tillotson now based in the Cook Islands,” says Selby, who is usually based at OFC Headquarters in Auckland.
“Those that show they are competent will achieve the OFC Senior Coaching Certificate and those that are not quite up 
to the standard will have a chance to be reassessed later in the year.”
This week’s training follows on from youth and junior courses facilitated by Selby in the Cook Islands over the past two years. He says the Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA) has been systematic in its approach to coach education.
“CIFA has shown exemplary support for these courses and that has resulted in coaches having ample opportunities to improve their skills. OFC continues to work closely with CIFA to deliver the full range of courses to further lift the technical standards of football in the Cook Islands.”
One coach who has directly benefited is Jimmy Katoa. Through participating in OFC courses, Katoa has achieved the qualifications to deliver courses for community coaches and junior coaches.
In May he is set to become the first Cook Islander qualified to run youth coaching courses. Selby says this is an example of the Technical Department’s commitment to see local people deliver local courses in the future.
On Sunday, Selby will fly from the Cook Islands to Samoa where he will meet with the Normalisation Committee to put together a plan of action for 2009 including grassroots programmes, player identification strategies, football in schools and other initiatives.
