THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) yesterday opened its second CONCACAF ‘D Licenses’ Coaching Course at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Headquarters, where 30 coaches will over the next four days be tutored and tested by CONCACAF Instructors, Anton Corneal and Vincent Earl Ganzberg.

Technical Director of the GFF, Ian Greenwood, said the aim is “to have as many certified coaches in the country as possible, so that next year we’ll be able to apply for C Licenses and B Licenses.”

Greenwood asked the participants to be open to learning new ideas and coaching philosophy; something that was echoed by visiting CONCACAF Instructors.

The American Ganzberg, after thanking the GFF for coming up with the initiative, explained to the coaches that “these four days will get you to dip your toe in the water, but it’s after you really become a coach.”

Corneal said the course is about giving Guyana a chance to educate their young players, since “over the years, we’ve seen methodology changed; ways we looked at the game, ways we have advanced and areas that we might have advanced, we might have to go back.”

“What you’re doing to help guide coaches and young players will be the key. It is important to us that you give young players the opportunity to learn the game of life through football, and the one that excel, you give them a pathway” Corneal told the Coaches at yesterday’s opening of the course.

Meanwhile, president of the GFF, Wayne Forde, called the Federations planning for development at all levels a “movement”, adding “and while the work we’ve been doing over the past two years don’t grab headlines, and can sometimes be miscommunicated and understood, it is clear that we’re laying a foundation.”

According to Forde, “the level of investment that we’ve made in our referees development, over players development in the establishment of our Academy Training Centres (ATC), to anyone that have the slightest understanding of the game of football, will recognise that we’re trying to produce a production machinery, that turns out excellent human being year after year.”