A coach who doesn’t have followers is only taking a walk
Jude Tavershima Ashaver: The Benue-born football tactician speaking with Trust Sport has said he is a coach who doesn’t make commitment to uncommitted players or management so that he does not in return receive their poor attitude.
Can you briefly give us details about you? I had my Primary and Secondary school Education at the great Mt. St. Michael’s Staff Nursery and primary school, Aliade, Benue state from 1990 - 1995. I proceeded my secondary education into the same school from 1996-2003.
Shortly afterwards in 2004, I proceeded to College of Education Oju, Benue State and graduated in 2007, where I read Physical and Health Education and graduated as the best graduating student of my set.
I thereafter gained admission into the great Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc) in Physical and Health Education in 2012.
How did you end up being a coach?
My football coach in the secondary school was a feared disciplinarian Mr. Edward Chukwu who was also a great motivator that had interest in me. One day he called me out of players and attest that I will end as a coach and that push my drive even when I played for the state and youth games, I always remember his words you will take after me and shortly I graduated from secondary school, I took over the course he read in the higher institution and I started practicing from the same school.
Since then I started receiving awards, Benue state Governor’s Cup Champions 2014, won All the catholic schools sports Games awards in Benue state from 2015/2016 back to back, and I also won the Benue State All Secondary School games Champion 2017, most hard working academic staff of the year 2018/2019 academic session. I proceeded to National Institutes for Sports where I obtained the Coaching certificate and I hope to manage a top level club or team.
You are a certified coach, can you give us a glimpse into your coaching career?
My quest for knowledge of sports motivated me to delve into further to obtain a coaching certificate in the National institutes for sports in Surulere, Lagos where I graduated as the best student coach for football in the year 2017 Higher Diploma Coaching.
I am a self-motivated team player with good knowledge in coaching, role modeling and admirable appearance which quest for learning for young learners, discipline and organized aiming to make a significant contribution within a new challenging role and providing valued oriented services that exceed expectations and to achieve the vision and mission of an organization as well to obtain a challenging position.
What attributes stand you out from other coaches? Do you have what it takes to manage a top level club or team?
I have the right attitude and commitment that can lead me to what I ought to be doing as a coach. I am someone who values loyalty, and follow through, even when things get tough and I stand firm, more specifically committed to my team, given solid support to them. My dedication to team work is undeniable and I can tie my commitment to my values to fulfill our team or management vision.
I don’t make a commitment to uncommitted players or management so that I cannot receive their poor attitude.
The thorough measure of my coaching ability is my influence. I expect nothing less from my team. I believe that several factors come into play when I coach a team e.g character formation - who they are from my selection to form a team. I will want to work with players that can easily understand my coaching philosophyt heir team mates, understanding play makers and goal getters.
I feel and I teach my team to always turn the team positively in game situation to gain good results and the image of the team. I access my players based on their present abilities. He who thinks he can coach but has no followers is only taking a walk.
Looking at the coaching set up in Nigeria, can you pinpoint the missing link between the indigenous coaches and the foreign ones?
First things first-no foreigner have ever won the Senior World cup for any African country looking at their wealth of experience. The kind of support given to foreigners does not exist within the indigenous coaches in Nigeria as the case may be.
Nearly a century, Germany has had only ten coaches which is in stark contrast to many countries in Africa which Nigeria is not an exception where coaches are fired before having time to build consistency. But it would be unwise to compare these foreign coaches to indigenous coaches, since their football development is world class. Advocates of foreign coaches have argued that, they are more knowledgeable, better exposed, and more professional but are costly.
Indigenous coaches otherwise referred to as local coaches understand football culture better, speak the local dialect and definitely become cheaper but then there is the issue of football development in our country Nigeria.
Do we have the right systems and structures in place to allow our indigenous coaches succeed? I don’t think so, that these foreign coaches are better than Nigerian coaches.
The NFF has said foreign players wont be invited to the age grade teams, do you think it is a right move?
Yes! Banning foreign players is a way forward, just like the border closure of foreign rice has paved way for Nigerians to start appreciating local rice products.
It is high time we go back to the grassroots. Most of our professional players, like Jay Jay Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Kanu Nwankwo, and John Mikel Obi were discovered at the grassroots level.
The sport leadership in the country has resolved a good decision not to be intimidated by foreign players to let every nation know or foreign players know it wishes for us as a nation is well or ill.