Accredited training for games officials, coaches, referees
Albert Park and the Vodafone Arena in Suva have been a hive of activity since yesterday with members of the Australian Defence Force conducting a five day sports officials training programme.
The ADF have partnered with the National Rugby League, Netball Australian, Australian Football League, Federation of International and Sports Medicine Australia to deliver comprehensive sports officials’ programmes for respective codes over the week.
According to ADF Rugby League Pacific Programmes representative group Captain Jay Clarke the programme includes accredited training for match officials and support staff including, coaches, referees, sports trainers and strength and conditioning training for players.
The programme is the sixth in a series of programme’s being run in the Pacific following on from highly successful virtual camps in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu over the past two years with approximately 960 officials in the Pacific now accredited.
“The programmes provide strong engagement through the facilitated training programs and builds capacity in officiating and support roles which is in high demand in the Pacific,” Captain Clarke said.
“The training programme provides an opportunity to demonstrate the enduring partnership with Fiji and reinforce our shared values, culture and history through sport,” he added.
It focuses on the fundamental of sport and healthy lifestyles. Each training package provides practical and theoretical aspects of skills development in officiating and support roles as well as game strategies, nutrition, lifestyle advice and game day preparation for players.
It provides a capacity building opportunity for Fiji as presently the local competitions are encountering difficulty in attracting players and ex-players into sporting officials’ roles.
The programme consolidates lessons learnt from recent virtual training activities that have already had significant influence in the region.
The inclusion of four key sporting codes in Fiji and working with DFAT Pacific Sports Partners reinforces a whole of Government approach to sport in the Pacific. Netball Fiji staff, umpires, coaches, and development officers are part of the five days training programme.