Laumata Lafoga hopes to breed highly skilled coaches in Samoa, especially for women working in the space of sports development.

She sees coaching as just as important as playing sports and in order to have really good athletes, you have to have really good coaches who can raise and nurture talent and potential.

Mrs. Lafoga, 35, is from the big island of Savai'i, hailing from the villages of Lefagoalii and Fagamlo. She has been working for the Football Federation Samoa (F.F.S.) in developing the sport of football in Samoa and raising the level of skilled coaches as well.

“I’m a development officer at F.F.S. and I’m here to build my skill and coaching career to help with our national teams, especially with the women’s national teams,” she said. “This also helps us prepare for the World Cup and Oceania Football Confederation tournaments. Coaching is an important role and knowing your pathway is vital. 

"This is building yourself with skills and knowledge when you go out to teach children and youth to up-skill them for local and international tournaments.” 

Oceania Football Confederation sponsors these regional training in raising and improving high-quality coaches around the Pacific with their partners.

The course is about developing capacity within member associations and improving the level of coach educators that are out in the community delivering these courses across the Pacific region.

An Education High-Performance team from O.F.C. was sent to facilitate the training. This is their first in-person contact course after COVID-19 and they will host four days of training at the Lava Hotel with 16 participants from around the region joining.

The course will last as long as it takes for them to complete tasks back in their environment. This week is about connecting and giving them examples of how to be better coach educators and provide high-level quality training in their respective communities.