LMA member Martin Allen headed out to South Africa during the World Cup for a slightly different reason to most. While other visitors to the country were focussed on getting tickets to the opening games, Martin was preparing to deliver an advanced coaching course to a group of 25 local volunteers.
Having been approached by football charity, Coaching for Hope (CfH), to act as an ambassador and use his knowledge and experience to help improve delivery of the game in South Africa, Martin agreed to lead a four day course in Khayelitsha, just outside Cape Town, which we (the LMA) were delighted to be able to support.
Coaching for Hope (CFH) is a sport for development programme that uses the power of football to communicate social messages to young people in disadvantaged communities, building the capacity of local coaches and youth workers through coach education. A sustainable model of education through football, CFH enhances an individual’s capacity to communicate effectively to young people, focusing on relevant social messages such as sexual health, substance misuse and life skills. CFH also support disabled players and coaches to participate in sport through a special disability curriculum.
   
Mike Richardson, CfH UK and West Africa Programme Manager, had this to say about Martin’s involvement:
“Martin Allen did a superb job for CfH... the way he communicated with the coaches and young people alike, was an inspiration to our organisation and the individual coaches themselves. This credibility is priceless for us as the coaches we work with do so completely voluntarily and we are always looking for ways to further their development as leaders in their respective communities. I know through follow up that as a direct result of this course, the coaches that attended have now committed to investing more of their time to work alongside CfH more closely in the future.”
The former manager of Cheltenham Town, Leicester City, MK Dons, Brentford and Barnet also visited a local township with CfH patron Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, where 700,000 people live in tiny, makeshift tin hut houses. This experience provided Martin with a different outlook on the game in the UK...
“On reflection, after watching England perform in the World Cup and working with young people from these poverty-stricken areas, it makes me wonder if it’s more than just a general football problem why, for so long, we haven’t managed to reach the World Cup final. Is it the lack of competitive sport in schools or grass areas being taken away from communities? Or is it to do with computer games and mobile phones? Do our youngsters have it too easy, too early? After working in the township in Cape Town, it does make me wonder...”
Martin Allen, Cape Town, June 2010
With the course coinciding with the World Cup, a number of visitors to Cape Town headed out to see first-hand the benefit that CfH, Martin and the LMA were providing to the local volunteers and youngsters. This included the FA’s Director of Football Development, Sir Trevor Brooking, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP and the British High Commissioner in South Africa, Nicola Brewer – in addition to various members of the media.
Hear what Fatboy Slim and David Beckham have to say about Coaching for Hope at http://www.coachingforhope.org |
