NAAZ upgrade coaches
NATIONAL Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara is confident the 27 coaches who are taking up an upgrading course under the tutelage of internationally-acclaimed athletics instructor Volker Herrmann will help transform the sport in the country.
The seven-day International Association of Athletics Federation Level Two coaching course began last Thursday at White City Hall in Bulawayo.
Herrmann is a German High Performance Sports Consultant and was assigned by the IAAF to conduct the course.
IAAF Level Two course specialises in sprints and hurdles coaching with only Class One holders allowed to take part.
Tagara said investing in training local coaches to meet global standards will be the association’s priority this year.
“We want to thank the IAAF for giving us this opportunity to host this course and as the NAAZ president, my philosophy is that we must invest in coaches because today coaching is science-based.
“Our athletes should to be handled by qualified and professional coaches so that they can be able to compete better at international level.
“As a country we have a good record globally of developing top sprinters and hurdlers such as Brian Dzingai and Ngoni Makusha who have raised our flag high. So we want to retain our status on the international map.
“I believe that only if our young talented athletes in our schools and universities are handled by trained and professional coaches we will reach our goal,” said Tagara.
Tagara added that he was pleased with the cooperation and commitment made by several stakeholders and Government institutions in the programme.
“We are satisfied that among the 27 participants, we have coaches from the police, army and high schools who are training with us. This is very important because most of our top athletes are employed and learning in these institutions especially primary and secondary school coaches are key in developing and nurturing our cadets, youths and junior athletes.”
Herrmann believes the country has a lot in raw talent which requires support to attain full potential.
“I believe that Zimbabwe has a huge talent in athletics, which needs support especially in developing infrastructure for them to use and being educated into some technical aspects such as how to combine speed and strength as an athlete,” said Herrmann.
The German said he will be ready to chip in should Zimbabwe need his services.
“I’m really enjoying working and supporting National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe in training their coaches, the environment is very friendly and we will continue to cooperate and work together.”
Herrmann is also expected to hold seminars with school coaches countrywide next week.
“We have asked him to have a faceto-face seminar with majority of our school coaches starting in Bulawayo on January 18 at White City Stadium. We are inviting all coaches from primary and secondary schools, universities and tertiary institutions in Matabeleland North, East, South and even parts of Masvingo and Midlands to attend the seminar.
“On January 19 he will also interact with coaches from Harare, Manicaland and other nearer provinces at the National Sports Stadium where he will also present papers of coaching and have an hour of question and answers,” said Tagara.