The new administration that governs the Football Federation of Belize was installed three months ago on March fifteenth. The future of football was the primary concern of both the president elect and the former president of the F.F.B. So three months later, the organization is seeing some of its commitments bear fruit. The F.F.B. brought Gary Stempel, a FIFA Instructor, to Belize to train local coaches. News Five’s Jose Sanchez spoke to the instructor and the players who both agree, that when it comes to training the game has just begun.

 

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Football coaches representing each district have convened at the F.F.B. Goal Project Headquarters in Belmopan for an intensive training session. F.F.B. President Ruperto Vicente says that thirty coaches took advantage of the training opportunity.

 

Ruperto Vicente, President, F.F.B.

“We have Mr. Gary Stempel, who came to us from Panama, a FIFA instructor, who came last week Tuesday and we started a coaching training for twenty-nine coaches in this country on Thursday of last week. And so we are ending our coaching course today. so these twenty-nine coaches were being trained and who have been working the entire week, will now go back into their locals, into their communities and train other coaches and as well participate in training young peers in their communities.”

 

Gary Stempel, FIFA Instructor

“This is an MA coaching course run by FIFA. I’m an instruction for FIFA. It’s one of many courses that I think Belize is now starting to promote through FIFA and this was an introductory level one course actually to some of the top coaches in Belize and I hope, the idea of it, was to give them some of the modern techniques in coaching and new types of drills, new types of information about the modern game. So the Belizean coach is up to date with all the information, they can go back to their clubs, back to their communities with this information, with this knowledge and slowly but surely, the level of the Belizean football will increase and hopefully they will be a force in Central America.”

The coaches received certificates for their progress as well as training needed for instructors.

 

Dean Flowers, Coach

“The coaching course has been very helpful. It has assisted me to move from the traditional way of thinking of how we as ex-football players wanting to be coaches use to view the profession of coaching. I think that it has thought us the standards that we should have as coaches and more importantly the different techniques that we need to implement if we are to be good coaches. This is just a level one coaching course; so it is an introduction to coaching basically and I’m hoping that this will be a very good foundation. I am not hoping but I am confident that this has been a good foundation laid that hopefully we will be able to build upon and hopefully get our certification in the future.”

 

Luis Zetina, Coach

“This course is a great opportunity for myself and for my colleagues to have learnt many things; to be aware of more coaching techniques, dribbling and the sort. We plan to take this to our different communities, the districts and pass on the knowledge to other coaches as well; not just to stay with us right. And we hope that the federation and every other body that is involved in football or any sport, continue providing these kinds of seminars.”

 

Jose Sanchez

“What were your first impressions of the local coaches coming into the seminar?”

 

Gary Stempel

“Not very good actually. First impressions first of all, I was very happy with their commitment; to them it was a big sacrifice; they had to take a week off work. It was a long day in the heat, a lot of practical sessions out on the pitch; we were here from eight till about six-thirty sometimes—long days. They showed great commitment, a lot of enthusiasm, good attitude and I’m very pleased really with—and I said it in my final speech—very pleased with their input and if they could keep that out then I think that the future of football in Belize would be very good.”

 

Jose Sanchez

“Are you confident then that these coaches can become better?

 

Gary Stempel

“This is the first step; a lot of it depends on two things: one, the support from the federation—they have to keep developing their coaches, giving them the support necessary, trying to evaluate them, making sure they are doing their work properly, getting other coaches from outside to run courses and it obviously depends on the coaches themselves. So it is no good coming here, receiving a certificate, framing it and it looks very pretty on the wall. But they actually have to go out now into the field and do the work.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

Channel 5