Participants and attendees at the CONCACAF "E" license coaching course, which is being held January 27-29, 2017, in Grenada, gather for a group photo. (Photo: Grenada Football Association)
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – “Planting the seeds for the resurgence of football in Grenada” -- that’s how the CONCACAF “E” license coaching course is being described.
Aimed at boosting the skill set of youth coaches on the island in order to enhance the quality of Grenada’s football, the workshop opened Friday with close to 70 physical education teachers and club coaches.
The program is part of a new two-year strategic plan introduced by the Grenada Football Association (GFA) that emphasizes greater investment in youth.
At a brief opening ceremony, GUT Sports Committee Chairman Johnell Mitchell praised the effort and told participants, “It is up to you to go into your schools and communities to make the difference.”
Declaring the course open, Grenada Football Association President Cheney Joseph urged participants to grasp the opportunity because, “your reward will not be a certificate on completion of this course, but when you see someone that you have coached excel.”
Joseph also noted that the journey requires hard work, saying: "Part time efforts bring part time results, hence the need for you to positively impact on the next generation of footballers. If you are really going to make a difference, you must be fully committed to excellence.”
Guatemala’s Luis Swisher is the CONCACAF instructor for the course that includes both classroom and practical sessions.
The GFA collaborated with the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT) to choose educators, who also coach football, to participate in the three-day gathering.
