Choosing horses for courses
The faux pas came because those in charge failed to studiously select the best persons to take part in a D Licence football course.{{more}}
Oblivious to what happened in May this year, those with decision making and selection have done even worse this time.
It is pointless to have such certification courses, when at the end of the day, we are marked down for the lack of competence of the participants.
Set aside enthusiasm and eagerness to learn, with all due respect to those who attended the four-day course conducted by CONCACAFâs certified instructors Lenny Lake and Ces Podd, they were short of what was required for an intense programme.
But again those who were sent or who put their hands up to be counted, are merely insurers that the course would have taken place.
The executive of the SVGFF is in a search for quantity and good public image, hence they sacrifice quality, as in the case of the recently held course.
Caught in a bind to enhance the political chances of those who would seek election to the national body, diligence and screening go through the doors of selection.
Surely, a bad mark would come our way as to the procedure used to select persons to attend courses, as it was evident that the facilitators were not pleased with the personnel provided for them to impart their knowledge to.
But the persons who carry out the-day-to day functions of the SVGFF would readily proffer that they are attempting to promote inclusion, thus the insistence of the wide geographic spread.
They would also argue that so many persons have been trained in the past that few are left to attain certification of one form or another.
It is clear, though, that the policy makers for football in St Vincent and the Grenadines have lost their bearings in relation to what is the real pathway towards advancement in the sport.
But whilst football is the focal point at this time, other sporting disciplines are guilty of doing the same, in their efforts make good the opportunities presented to them to put their respective organizations in good stead.
It may be wise for those associations, who from time to time access these courses, have pre-engagements with the prospective attendees to have them get a proper understanding and if necessary provide them with the prerequisite knowledge of what they are going to pursue.
And, football, like track and field, has a technical director in place, who can easily facilitate the process.
But we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot by simply sending persons to courses which we host with regularity, who oftentimes are just there to make up the numbers to make sure that future courses can be procured.
Then, the obvious follows, as the attrition rate of those who get certified multiplies, as they end up being idle almost immediately after receiving their proof of attendance and participation.
Unfortunately, these courses are mandatory as the parent bodies dish them out in quotas and by request.
The time is ripe for football to recommence the local certification programme, as started by then technical director employed by the SVGFF â Colwyn Rowe.
Whilst such certification does not ensure maximum success, it offers the upward mobility of the coaches, who must first satisfy that he/she has the acumen at the local level, before embarking on a licensed course.
The cycle of courses, workshops and training will continue to spin in an anticlockwise direction if we do not take a different approach towards the technical development of our sporting stock here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
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