The ManicaPost
MANICALAND Basketball Association in collaboration with National Association of School Heads will conduct Beginners Level 1 and Advanced coaching and referee’s courses.
The courses are scheduled for March 31 to April 2 at Mutare Girls’ High School.
According to the programme director, Clive Wemba, the move will ensure that all schools have qualified officials to train the sport.
“Our coaches and referees courses will run from March 31 to April 2 at Mutare Girls’ High School. We want to ensure that all schools have qualified coaches and referees. After the training, we want to see to it that the sport spreads to all schools in the province.
“We are trying by all means to develop basketball in schools. We have many schools that are playing basketball, but the coaches do not have the technical know-how of the game.”
“We are putting up this course to try and cater for all teachers who are interested in coaching basketball in schools and colleges. The courses are in two categories. The first category is for beginners. This is for those who are still new to the game of basketball. The second category is Level One.
“We will also have an advanced course for coaches who have Level One qualifications. We are expecting over 40 participants from all over the province. We last held such courses last year and they were well attended.
“We will also do the same courses for primary schools some other time later to cater for their age groups.
“Next term we will do a national course,” he said.
Wemba said coaching fees would be $30 and would cater for participants’ breakfast and lunch.
He said certificates would be awarded after the completion of the courses.
For the referees’ courses, Joyce Mucheni, FIBA international referee based in Harare and Wemba will be trainers, while Manicaland Basketball Association president, Tonde Shasha, assistant national team coach, Innocent ‘Stolz’ Sithole and Eric Wela will be facilitators in coaches’ courses.
Shasha said as a province they were targeting a total of 1 000 qualified coaches in the next four years.
“We last had these courses last year and they were well attended.
“The target group that we are focusing on is those that mould basketball players to have the proper basketball skills at the school going age.
“Registration is still in progress and some of the participants include PE teachers, Marymount Teachers’ College students. So far we have set a target of 1 000 coaches in the next four years.
“Currently we have 47 qualified coaches in our province and we want to work hard to achieve that target of 1 000 coaches,” he said.
