HARARE, Aug. 13 (NewsDay Live) — Female football coaches are broadening their skills beyond tactics and technical training through a sports medicine module in the ongoing All-Women CAF C Coaching Course at Zifa Village in Harare.
The second module, supported by FIFA as part of efforts to increase the number of qualified female coaches, is placing strong emphasis on player health, welfare and performance.
Sports medicine specialist Dr Margaret Maulana is leading sessions covering exercise health, nutrition and hydration, common football injuries, injury prevention, doping control and mental health.
Particular focus is being placed on female health and performance, with coaches learning about physiological factors that can affect the health, wellbeing, training and performance of female players.
“Coaching is not only about tactics, formations and what happens with the ball. Coaches have a responsibility to understand the health and wellbeing of their players because these have a direct impact on performance,” Maulana said.
She said the knowledge was particularly important for coaches working with female players.
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“When coaches have the right knowledge around nutrition, hydration, injury prevention, mental health and other areas of player welfare, they are better equipped to create environments in which players can perform and develop safely,” she said.
The sports medicine component forms part of a broader curriculum aimed at producing well-rounded coaches able to meet the demands of modern football.
The programme is also strengthening Zimbabwe’s female coaching pathway by expanding access to recognised CAF qualifications and creating opportunities for more women to take up technical roles.
Zifa is seeking to build a larger pool of qualified female coaches who can help develop the next generation of players and strengthen the technical foundations of women’s football.
The second module continues at Zifa Village, with participants undergoing further theoretical and practical sessions towards attaining their CAF C coaching qualifications.