By Avenash Ramzan
As part of efforts to raise the standard of goalkeeping in Guyana, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has embarked on a Goalkeeper Coaches Course through a collaborative effort with the regional body CONCACAF.
Close to two dozen goalkeeper coaches drawn the Elite Clubs and the Members Association of the GFFn are part of the three-day programme at the National Resource Centre, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
It is being conducted by CONCACAF’s Goalkeeping Instructor, Claine Anthony Plummer, a former goalkeeper himself.
The course is geared to equip the coaches with the requisite knowledge to propel their keepers to a higher level. Plummer, in brief remarks at the opening, said he is grateful to be in Guyana to conduct the programme.
“My mission, now that I’ve been appointed as the CONCACAF Goalkeeping Instructor, is to change the perspective and the vision of the position,” Plummer told the gathering.
He continued, “Because for a very long time and still to this day, it is a position that is very neglected. Goalkeepers are not part of the team. And I’ll repeat it again, for a long time goalkeepers are not treated as part of the team, but yet they expect us to save the team. When it comes to practice, there is almost no structure for the goalkeeper unless there is shooting practice, and they expect goalkeepers to do miracles.”
Plummer said the whole idea is to raise awareness on the importance of the goalkeeper, and fix the problems that they usually encounter.
He stated that for far too long there hasn’t been a foundation in the Caribbean to allow for goalkeepers to grow.
“Please, have an open mind, because to change you must have an open mind. If you really came here believing that in three days we’re going to change all the problems in goalkeeping you’re mistaken,” he advised.
Technical Development Officer of the Guyana Football Federation, Lyndon France, said CONCACAF had offered a number of courses, but the federation felt the need to focus on improving the art of goalkeeping, hence the realisation of the three-day programme.
“The Football Federation, as part of its mandate to develop the game in Guyana, has recognised that for the game to develop we must do a lot of capacity building. And once we can build the capacity of those responsible for giving instructions to our players we are will surely going to be able to take the game to another level. Over the last few years, when we looked at the game holistically in Guyana we recognised that a lot of attention is not being placed to goalkeeping,” France pointed out.
Plummer, born and raised in Costa Rica, pointed out that his aim is to ensure the goalkeeper coaches are in a better position than they are now to improve the skills of their charges.
