‘Go out to your communities,’ says Kenton

Costa Rican Rodrigo Kenton, a FIFA Football Instructor, has commanded the thirty-two local Football coaches, who participated in a five-day Youth Football Coaching Workshop here last week, to make use of the knowledge gained.{{more}}

At the workshop, which ended last Friday afternoon, at the Media Centre at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, Kenton told SEARCHLIGHT: “They are well set up for the future and I hope that they make good use of that information and go to their communities and give one or two courses.”

Kenton said that FIFA, along with the Executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, wants the coaches to multiply their efforts, as they are now armed with stacks of information.

“We have given them a lot of information on thumb drives, with manuals and books, so much material that they can cover in six months’ time,” Kenton said.

Sharing Kenton’s views was President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation Venold Coombs, who spoke at the Closing Ceremony and who requested the same of the coaches.

The workshop was attended by a wide spectrum of youth coaches with varying levels of knowledge of the sport.

The bulk of the attendees, however, came mainly from the secondary schools and the community youth outfits, as well as seasoned coaches, even those who have had stints at the national level.

Among the senior coaches who attended were former national senior team head coach Seymour Waldron, current interim national senior team coach Cornelius Huggins and newly appointed national Under-20 men’s team coach Alexander “Pete” Morris.

During the five days, the participants were taught systems of play, defensive and offensive formation, tactical formation and tactical changes, physical preparation – aerobics and anaerobics among others.

The participants also had practical sessions of some of the topics covered.

Apart from Kenton, other local facilitators also shared their expertise.

Former national goal keeper Michael Findlay, lectured on the fundamentals of goal keeping; Earl Paynter looked at the Laws and Rules of the Game; and Physiotherapist Denis Byam conducted a session in physiotheraphy.

Kenton, who has Jamaican roots, is a former professional Football, whose career spanned fifteen years.

Kenton’s first coaching job was as assistant coach to Bora Milutinovic in Costa Rica’s national squad that played in the 1990 World Cup, held in Italy.

In 1998, Kenton was asked by Milutinovic to be his assistant coach again, this time with the Nigeria national team that played in the 1998 World Cup that took place in France.

Kenton was placed in charge of Costa Rica’s national U-23 football team, which qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics, held in Athens, Greece.

In June 2008, Kenton was appointed as head coach of the Costa Rican national team for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, a position he held until September 2009. (RT)