(ABOVE) Participants and attendees for the CONCACAF Goalkeeper Course in Barbados gather for a group photo.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – With a commitment to player development firmly in its focus, the Barbados Football Association (BFA) launched Thursday a CONCACAF Goalkeepers’ Coaching Course.
The three-day program is being attended by 30 participants, who will be tasked with sharing what they learned with the island’s clubs, youth programs and national teams.
BFA technical director Marcos Falopa believes that the workshop will be crucial in lifting the standard of goalkeeping.
“It is important for football here in this country to develop goalkeepers,” said Falopa. “Every professional club in the world has a goalkeeper coach at all levels from youth to seniors. This is the way forward as goalkeepers are very important and in modern football changes the game tactically. If you remember the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, when Netherlands changed goalkeepers just for penalty kicks in the quarterfinals and won.”
CONCACAF instructor Clainne Plummer echoed similar sentiments, saying: “Goalkeeping has been evolving for years. In the modern game, the game can be approached differently because they are considered sweeper-keepers rather than just goalkeepers, so that teams can now focus more on their offensive schemes.
“The grassroots program of CONCACAF will provide federations in the region more coaching education to improve the aspects of coaching goalkeepers.”
Sessions are being conducted at the Barbados Olympic Association and the Wildey Astro Turf facility at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.
