Towards London 2012

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Several others seek out every possible explanation for their failure to deliver the goods. Some are simply not interested. Others cite family commitments. The list of reasons proffered continues to grow.

Several of our coaches have been exposed at the highest level and have been successful but are unable to impart what they have learnt. Instead they push athletes out of the sport. They lack the pedagogical skills and seem to have no interest in becoming proficient in this regard. In some instances these coaches bark at the young athletes as though they are dogs rather than human beings with parents and an experience of upbringing at home.

It is also the case that too many of our coaches, while possessive of some knowledge, are unable and in some cases unwilling to move to the higher level of training and competence.

Talent Identification

Coaches are the ones on whom the national sports associations rely for identifying the talented athletes in the various sporting disciplines.

For several years now the National Olympic Committee has secured Olympic Solidarity funding for a nationwide Grassroots Talent Identification Programme (GTIP). Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Table Tennis, Taekwondo and Volleyball have become involved taking coaches around the country.

In the case of some of the aforementioned sports coaches have been relatively inconsistent, leaving young athletes in some areas waiting in vain for their presence to conduct sessions. There are occasions where the coaches offer no explanation in advance to their respective associations so that the latter can make the necessary adjustments. In some cases the coaches arrive too late for the arranged transportation, making a mockery of the process while leaving the respective association to cover the expenses incurred.