Akwa Ibom FA chief urges coaches to keep learning after course

Akwa Ibom State Football Association chairman Samuel Umo has called on coaches taking part in an eight-week refresher programme in Uyo to continue studying after the course ends. He said ongoing learning would be important to their development and to the growth of football in the state.

Umo spoke at the opening of the Summer Basic Coaching Programme, organised by AKISFA in partnership with Ray Tiding Consulting Limited. The National Institute for Sports is facilitating the programme at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

The course is intended to improve the capacity of football coaches and support grassroots football development. Its curriculum includes the basic principles and techniques of sports coaching, practical training methods, the organisation of drills and exercises, and the staging of competitions.

Umo said stronger coaching knowledge in communities would contribute to football development across Akwa Ibom. His message to the participants was that completing the programme should mark the continuation, rather than the end, of their professional improvement.

The programme is open to football coaches, grassroots trainers and academy instructors. Youth leaders, retired athletes, sports administrators and fresh graduates are also among those targeted by the training.

Akwa Ibom State commissioner for sports, Elder Paul Bassey, welcomed the initiative. He described it as an avenue for coaches in the state to gain access to structured training and praised what he called the renewed direction of the National Institute for Sports under Comrade Philip Shaibu.