The five-day course was conducted at the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) academy and was run by OFC technical coordinator Didider Chambaron, who arrived in the country after holding a D Licence course the week before in Tonga.
The licences are part of OFC’s new FIFA-funded coaching accreditation pathway, which outlines the necessary requirements for coaches to progress from a D Licence to an A Licence and covers all levels of the game including grassroots, youth and senior football as well as futsal and beach soccer.
Chambaron says his time in the Solomon capital went well and believes the training will prove valuable to the participants.
“It was a successful week on a number of levels,” he says.
“The course has delivered training for the coaches and I am confident the programme we have put in place will help develop them to becoming top coaches. It is always exciting to work in Solomon Islands because you meet a lot of people who are dedicated to and passionate about football.”
The participants were just as pleased to be taking part in the course, with many describing it as an eye-opener and saying they would use it as a stepping stone in their coaching development.
One of those taking part was former Solomon Islands international Batram Suri, who played in last season’s O-League for Vanuatu club Amicale and is now looking to pass on the knowledge gained from an impressive playing career.
“This course has really opened my eyes and made me understand the beauty of coaching,” he says.
Those sentiments were shared by fellow participant Barnabas Loloito, a trainer for Telekom S-League side Real Kakamora.
“The course has been captivating for me from day one. I have learned a lot and it will help me deliver quality training to my players,” he says.
“The instructions and practical sessions really drove home the concepts and I look forward to similar courses in the future. I am excited about what the new OFC accreditation scheme has to offer us coaches in terms of development.”
The scheme has been developed by the OFC Technical Department and is based on those used by confederations in other parts of the world but with a unique Oceania flavour.
It has already been put into practice in several of OFC’s 11 member associations and will be implemented in other countries throughout the rest of 2011 by Chambaron and OFC technical director Patrick Jacquemet.
Chambaron was responsible for holding the inaugural D Licence course, the first step on the accreditation pathway, in Vanuatu recently and believes the scheme will be of great benefit to the development of coaches in the Pacific.
“The players in the region have a lot of potential but we need to improve the level of the coaches,” Chambaron says. “If we can do that then the players will improve very quickly.”
During his visit to the Solomon Islands, Chambaron also spent time working with the SIFF technical department to discuss a programme for more courses in the new OFC accreditation scheme to be held in the future.
It was agreed that two more C Licence courses would be held next year and that the country’s first B Licence course is expected to be conducted in 2013.
For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb

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