FIFA Indigenous Grassroots Coaching Course

Football Federation Australia (FFA), with the support of FIFA, recently held an Indigenous Grassroots Coaching Course in Alice Springs.

Football Federation Australia (FFA), with the support of FIFA, recently held an Indigenous Grassroots Coaching Course in Alice Springs. A total of 21 participants, representing all FFA-s Member Federations, including current Westfield Matilda - Lydia Williams, took part in the three day course delivered by highly experienced and accredited German FIFA Instructor, Mr Horst Kriete. All the course candidates currently work within Indigenous communities and regions, or are of Indigenous heritage.

The course was aimed at equipping participants with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to work with young players, and importantly, also focused on the effective organisation and delivery of grassroots football festivals. The trained participants will now be able to deliver football festivals locally, which will also assist in the ongoing Indigenous development work carried out across Australia by FFA and its Member Federation.

The intended outcomes of the FIFA Indigenous Grassroots Course include: • The ability to conduct regular grassroots football festivals nationally by FIFA trained grassroots educators. • Creating an awareness of and ‘passion- for the game, especially for grassroots football participants, their families and surrounding communities. • Linking local players to mainstream club football. • Being able to deliver the game at grassroots levels to both metropolitan and regional areas of Australia, especially Indigenous communities.

The practical component of the course included hosting two grassroots football festivals. A ‘mini- festival consisting of approximately 50 children aged between 8-12 years was staged on Thursday, while the ‘Friday Football Festival- catered for 120 children from local and surrounding schools. Thanks to Mark Wakeling (FICA) for organizing the festival participants.

Course participants included Peter Haynes (NNSWF), Tanya Oxtoby (FW), Nelson Filipe (FW), Rodney Connell (FNSW), Vito Basile (FFA), Kean Marshall (FFA), Jamara Maza (FFV), Jonece Close (FQ), Lydia Williams (CF), Nathan Aldridge (FNSW), Kosta Tragousti (FFNT), Gary Fisher (NNSWF), Ben O-Connor (FICA), Jeremy Butler (CF), Steve Lolias (FFNT), Matt Bulkeley (FFA), Mark Wakeling (FICA), Anthony Alexander (FFT), Denise Gibson (FQ), Robert Wright (FFNT) and Leonard Lester (FFSA).