Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
AFTER providing the biggest chunk of Zimbabwean participants at the recent Paris Olympics Games, the athletics fraternity in the country is continuing with efforts to lay a strong foundation for talent identification, and nurturing through coaching courses for kids and seniors.
To this end, Manicaland Athletics Board (MAB) will host the Kids Athletics Programme to equip coaches handling the primary school going age group with the requisite skills to develop their talents.
MAB chairperson, Joshua ‘Zesa’ Matume said they will host a course for aspiring coaches for Kids Athletics at Marymount Teachers’ College on October 18.
“When we do Kids Athletics Programme, we are targeting coaches who handle athletes from ECD up to Grade Seven. It is also good for primary school student teachers as well as the qualified ones to attend these courses so that they acquire the basic skills to handle athletes.
“All participants who will go through and pass the course will receive an International Kids Athletics Coaching Certificate (World Athletics Coaching Certificate). This is what we are focusing on at the moment. This is the base of all our athletics events,” said Matume.
With the aid of practical drills, participants who will take up this course will learn among other aspects, what is Kids Athletics (KA), KA objectives, values and guiding principles of KA, why KA in schools, age groups and stages or levels, equipment and materials, safety measures as well as the Kids Athletics/Zimfit Programme.
Meanwhile, National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) is at an advanced stage of organising the International Coach Education and Certification System (CECS) Level One course to be held in Mutare.
NAAZ president, Tendai Tagara said: “National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe is organising an international coaching course, the International Coach Education and Certification System (CECS) Level One course to be held in Mutare.
“After successfully holding the technical official course early this year, we are now focusing on the coaches. The course will take place at Chancellor Junior School in Mutare from December 20 to 30. We are expecting more than 30 participants from Manicaland for this specific course. We have focused on coaching, primarily because there is a growing demand for qualified coaches,” said Tagara.
