Taumua told the men and women attending the course, run by FIFA instructor and OFC player development officer Daniel Shirley, the future development of football rests in their hands.
“I challenge you not to come to this course to get a new bag, new shoes and an outfit, but to learn everything that you can and then share it with your club,” Taumua said.
“You are the ones that can do the most in developing our sport and players in American Samoa. Every year when we hold these courses, there are new faces and that sometimes contributes to why our competitions are so poor – there is no sustainability in the coaching ranks.”
Shirley concurred with Taumua’s take on the situation but said it was not a problem unique to American Samoa.
“You cannot learn to be a coach in the three-and-a-half days of this course. It’s what you do with the material and the information you receive that makes you a great coach because ultimately it is up to you to develop great players,” Shirley said.
“And that’s one of the main objectives as a coach – to develop great players.”
Taumua said the participants would all learn a lot from Shirley, with all that information set to benefit not only them but the association also.
“Next year American Samoa will compete in the OFC Women’s U-17 Championship and we will need a coach for that team,” he said.
“This is one reason the association tries to educate you coaches, so that you can be a potential national team coach for American Samoa at these competitions. So hopefully, we will be able to identify a potential coach for this team from one of you participants.”
This is the second course conducted by Shirley in American Samoa after a similar one was held in 2012.
The course is due to conclude today, and Shirley said it is his job to conduct programmes based on each country’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Talking to and seeing all of you in your own environment helps me to understand those needs, and there is no better way to start developing the game than at the grassroots and youth levels,” Shirley concluded.
For more on American Samoa football go to www.ffas.as

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