A developmental programme launched here recently by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) should see women’s football taking greater prominence on the local scene.

The programme named “Football for Female Fitness and Fun” aims to intensify the awareness of women’s football and assist the Physical Education teachers in the schools to develop and train for the sport.{{more}}

And, already plans are in motion to get the programme off and running.

Head of the women’s committee and Assistant Secretary Operations of the SVGFF, Alana Mc Master told SEARCHLIGHT that her committee was working closely with the newly formed Physical Education Secondary Teachers Association (PESTA) to get the sport in a formal way into the schools’ Physical Education Programme.

Outlining the plan, Mc Master said, “Each school will be provided with a coaching manual and coaching mentoring from the SVGFF certified coaching staff”. The manual, she said, was developed by Technical Director Zoran Vranes.

Mc Master revealed that coaches will also be certified based on the programme so that a cadre of personnel can be had to help sustain the forward thrust that her organisation is placing on this aspect of the sport.

According to her, the programme will run for six weeks after which assessments will be made to determine its effectiveness.

“In addition, schools will be provided with DVD’s on the Laws of the Game and coaching videos,” she said.

“Along with the coaches, we will be developing female referees so that all aspects of the programme are complemented”, Mc Master said.

An upbeat Mc Master said that Girls’ High School has taken on board the programme and students who will be sitting Physical Education at CXC level will be using it as part of their School Based Assessment.

Mc Master stated that the several football leagues across the state are also targetted.

“We are launching off with the Layou league that opens March 24”, she outlined.

With three levels in sight, the SVGFF hopes in the basic level to organise at least two friendly international matches per year, while the intermediate is to reserve the percentage of the places in the different courses i.e. referees and coaches.

At the top of the ladder at the end of the four year time line are the development of a regular national competition and the development of monthly 7 X 7 competitions for the Under-16.

Maligned much for its lack of direction and emphasis on development of young footballers of both sexes, the Assistant Secretary said that the time was now to correct this short coming.

As part of the SVGFF’s annual draw down from FIFA, ten percent or US$25 000 of the allocations is supposed to be spent on women’s football.

A FIFA development meeting held here last October/November pointed to the need for the SVGFF to move swiftly to having a more organised female set up.

Mc Master, who along with Jamaican, Elaine Walker Brown, Anguillan, Collin Johnson, Trinidadian, Izler Browne and Barbadian, Sylvia Darlington, is part of a regional steering body charged with putting forward a development plan to the Caribbean Football Union Congress later this month in Curacao.

At present, this country’s Under-20 team, a graduation from the Under-19 outfit, are preparing for the World Cup qualifiers to be held in August of this year.

Apart from the Under-20, a senior national team is in tact.