British Council Partners Premier League To Train 34 Coaches
Dozens of students and coaches met at the Meadow Hall pitch at Lekki in Lagos to showcase techniques imparted on them from Premier Skills.
Premier Skills, a global coaching and refereeing initiative run by the Premier League and the British Council, was concluded in Lagos State Monday.
The training was a seven-day intensive training for grassroots football coaches and physical education teachers selected from Lagos and Kano State.
Led by Premier League coach educator, Paul Hughes, the phase 1 Community Coaching was attended by thirty-four coaches from Lagos State Football Association, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Kano State Sports Commission and Kano State Ministry of Education.
Coach Paul Hughes noted that the trainee coaches responded well with rapt attention as they received techniques to increase their understanding, capacity to deliver and commitment to inclusive community football projects.
He said, “We had a wonderful time in Lagos as coaches were educated and trained on different techniques. We want to use football to drive home social change and believe the trained coaches will engage with young people in their communities. Right now, we are in phase four and are looking to work in Nigeria in the next three years”.
Director of Society and Programmes, Ahmed Mohammed noted that Premier Skills was in line with British Council’s plan to improve child protection, development equality and inclusion.
“Coaches were trained to adapt lessons learnt and develop training lessons in their locality that is appropriate across a range of abilities and disabilities, levels of fitness and age ranges. They are also expected to equip their students with life skills to enable them to face the future as better citizens,” says Mohammed.
One of the trained coaches, Augustina Aladi-Yusuf stated that the program has imparted her on approaches to educate youths in her community on dangers of child abuse.
Among those that were present at the Premier Skills event were Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, 1st Vice-President of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Sopehin Abdul-Ganiu Oluremi, Executive Chairman of Lagos SUBEB, Dr Shuaibu from Kano State Football Association among other dignitaries.
Premier Skills, which began in 2007, has trained 17,715 coaches and referees in 29 countries who in turn have reached more than 1.5 million young people.
The programme utilizes football to develop a brighter future for young people around the world, making use of the global appeal of the Premier League and its expertise in delivering community programs in the UK, alongside the British Council’s global network.
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> Through Premier Skills, young people often including the most vulnerable in society are given opportunities to become better integrated into their local communities to develop their skills for employability and to raise their self-esteem.
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