Development to start in schools says GFF president ag.

Oct 03, 2011 Sports

“One of the things that does not only affects football but sports in general, is the fact that sports is not included in the curriculum of schools and any wise organization would recognize that youths are the future and if sports cannot be back on the curriculum of school we would be wasting our time as sports now is science and athletes need to balance both extra and curriculum activities,” the acting President of Guyana Football Federation, Franklin Wilson, said.

Franklin Wilson

The acting President further informed Kaieteur Sport that a structured plan, which would be needed to aid in the development of female football in Guyana, is in creation, as work would have already started from the last elite programme sponsored by FIFA for the coaches since it would not be healthy to entertain coaches coaching haphazardly.
“There is a structured plan in the making for the development of women’s football in Guyana. The plan is for the coaches to organized themselves into a structured body of which the constitution has provision for…work on this has started arising out of the last elite programme which was sponsored by FIFA… the intention is to have solid a coaching committee which will deal with regulations that would guide coaches and to ensure coaches attached to clubs would have been exposed to certificate training.”
Franklin Wilson stressed that support would be essential for this movement and hopes that persons within the associations and clubs would support the proposal to have coaching conducted in a structured way throughout Guyana.
“It is a necessary change for us to develop…female development is something we would have been talking about over the years, the FIFA President would always say the future of football is feminine and the ‘Lady Jags’ made us proud under the technical directorship of Mark Rodrigues, assisted by a number of other coaches; we have done pretty well in the Women’s U-17 and will be playing in the Women’s U-20 Qualifiers.”
Meanwhile, Wilson stated that there budget of 50 million dollars is difficult to attain as they are still struggling but has received support from GT&T, Banks DIH and Bakewell; Ansa McAl and Food For the Poor are in the process of negotiation.
The acting President, indicated that the GFF alone cannot exist, “… we need the support of everyone and the Government has a role to play as well as the business community, the players and clubs… if players does not make themselves marketable and the administrators do not focus on ensuring the product is marketable, it would be difficult for anyone to attract sponsorship to help in the development of the product. We are very appreciative that President Bharrat Jagdeo had contributed towards the World Cup Campaign in terms of the incentives to the players.”
Wilson concluded that Klass’ twenty-six months ban from FIFA will not hamper the development of Guyana’s football. “Football in Guyana has to continue and I do not see his departure at this point of the time affecting the developmental progress, however what has to happen is that persons must understand that for us to succeed, we must come together and work as a team…”together everyone achieves more.”
(Juanita Hooper)