Waiouru hosts soccer coaches

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 619, 16 January 1996, Page 12

Waiouru hosts soccer coaches

By

Michele

Monaghan

Some of New Zealand's top soccer coaches gathered in Waiouru last week to test and assess 1 9 candidates for their Level III Badge, the highest soccer coaching award. Roger Wilkinson, an English Football Association (FA) and Federation of

Intemational Football Associations (FIFA) coach said the seven-day residential course has been run fi ve times in Waiouru now. "It's been tremendous. We've got a great rapport with the Army and have built up a tremendous relationship over that time." Mr Wilkinson said the trip to Waiouru has become a bit of a pilgrimage because it provides an ideal place to focus on soccer and soccer coaching and gives Army players and coaches the opportunity to join in. "It's good for coaches to come to a place like this and see the discipline and . regimentality of the Army. It's been a positive experience for those people who wouldn't have seen it in ordinary life," he said. Two other coaches were in Waiouru to test the candidates. They were Jack Vercautren (English FA coach, FIFA assistant coach and holder of the German coaching badge) and Ron Cane (New Zealand Level III coach and former New Zealand goal keeping coach). Amongst the candidates

were Keith Pritchett, Waitakere City Coach and New Zealand Coach of the Year who is also assistant coach to the All Whites, David Witteveen, ex-All White, Allan McKenzie, exScottish professional now

living in New Plymouth, Mohammed Zanudren from the Singapore Football Association and Habib Makradi, ex-Iranian International Youth player now living in Auckland. Candidates were given practical

demonstrations on how to coach as well as lectures on systems of play, theory of coaching, game analysis, psychology of coaching and fitness. Candidates willfind out if they have made Level III in a couple of weeks.