The Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA) has enjoyed many highlights in recent weeks.
The men’s national team earned its first ever international win on Tongan soil last month (2-1) which has helped Cook Islands jump 14 places to 188 on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings released yesterday.
Since then CIFA has held residential training camps for U-13 boys and U-14 girls in preparation for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2011 and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2010.
These successes have come down to a lot of hard work by administrators like CIFA Development Officer Jimmy Katoa who oceaniafootball.com caught up with recently.
Katoa has an impressive coaching record and became the first Cook Islander qualified to run community, junior and youth level coaching courses. Here’s what he had to say to oceaniafootball.com.
Where are you from?
I was born on the island of Pukapuka in the northern group islands of the Cook Islands.
How long have you lived in the Cook Islands?
I left Pukapuka when I was 10 and went to live in Auckland, New Zealand for 20years. I moved back to Rarotonga 13 years ago and have been here since.
How long have you been coaching?
I’ve been coaching for about 13 years.
Why do you enjoy coaching?
I love working with players no matter what the age group and although I spent most of my time with senior players, my preference is working with junior and youth players. This is because you can still assist with their football development and when you see the kids’ enjoyment and smiling faces it is the most satisfying experience. It’s great knowing that you have contributed to their overall development as a player and I also hope that they become responsible young people.
What teams have you coached?
I’ve coached my local club side Tupapa Maraerenga FC ever since I moved to Rarotonga.
In terms of national teams:
What improvements have you seen in Cook Islands football development recently?
At junior and youth level there is a big improvement with most clubs being very competitive. This can be attributed to the amount of junior and youth coaching courses that have been conducted. As of 2008 the OFC Technical Department has put in place a coaching manual for the OFC region. This has now given our local coaches not only a pathway to follow but also an identification process of where they are at now, and where they want to be in a few years time.