The Football Federation of Samoa (F.F.S.) hosted a three-day Grassroots Coaching Course for all football clubs in Samoa to develop the skills of coaches.

The skills course will be held for three days and coaches will receive certificates upon their completion. It is available to all the clubs in Upolu East, Upolu West and Savai'i.

The courses are designed to teach and train club coaches to improve their knowledge and competency in relation to coaching grassroots football using the Oceania Football Confederation framework of "the game, the player, the coach". 

The training courses are held at the F.F.S Headquarters at Tuanaimato as well as in Savai'i.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, the F.F.S Upolu East Technical Development Manager, Leti Tamasese said the purpose of the course is a pathway for people who have chosen coaching as a career in soccer.

"For example, careers in soccer there is coach, player. So the grassroots is where this pathway starts," she said. "The reason behind the course is to teach coaches because there are cases where people coach kids without knowledge and understanding. 

"So those who are part of the course are from the clubs so they nominate the people to come, two participants each.

"We see the potential in our people, but there is no education to develop their knowledge so that they know more about the game."

Mrs. Tamasese said there are 18 clubs in Upolu East with 20 participants in the course, adding that most of the coaches are part of the course at the grassroots level or the youth level.

Mrs. Tamasese said that right now they see lots of children who have the potential, but there are no qualified coaches and if they have a pool of qualified coaches, it will draw the attention of people towards the sport.

"It all starts from the coach," she said.

She then thanked the Oceania Football Confederation for funding the course as well as the F.F.S for making the course possible.

Technical Development Manager and Coach Educator for Upolu West, Desmond Edward said on Monday that the hope is to educate the coaches and develop the skills of those at the grassroots level.

He added that when a child starts playing football, the coach should be well prepared who indicated that there will be a similar course for the youth next week.