The head coach of Arsenal Soccer Schools, Simon McManus, and colleague Carlan Edgar, are set to visit Ethiopia for the first time to train Ethiopian coaches during the third round Dashen-Arsenal Grassroots Coaching Series.
The Arsenal coaches, will be in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to provide training for some 30 Ethiopian coaches from February 9-10, 2017. The participants of the training are drawn from grassroots football projects under the Ethiopian Football Federation, regional sports commissions and private grassroots projects.
Mr. McManus who conceived and realized the Arsenal Grassroots Coaching programme, and Mr Edgar, will be giving the training to the Ethiopian coaches courtesy of Dashen Breweries, the first and only Arsenal FC partner in Ethiopia. The theoretical and practical training will be held at Beshale Hotel and the nearby Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) Football Club Training Pitch, in CMC area, respectively.
“We believe that the coming of these Arsenal coaches to Ethiopia for the first time to give this training for our grassroots coaches is vital and it will contribute hugely to grassroots football development in our country. As the third-round of the coaching series, we are excited to see the progress that the program is having on Ethiopian coaches,” said Mr Devlin Hainsworth CEO of Dashen Breweries Share Company.
In September, 2015, Dashen Breweries S.C and Arsenal Football Club announced a three-year partnership and Arsenal became the first Premier League side to secure a regional partnership in Ethiopia. This partnership focuses on supporting Dashen Breweries’ community based initiatives with coaches from the club taking part in grassroots football development projects in Ethiopia.
The first of the six-round Dashen-Arsenal Grassroots Coaching series was held in Bahirdar town in February, 2016 involving over 27 coaches drawn from around Ethiopia.
Following the growing popularity of Dashen-Arsenal Grassroots Coaching, the number of participating coaches has reached 37 during the second round, which took place last May.
The participants of the upcoming third round coaching session are expected to benefit from the vast coaching knowledge and experiences of the Arsenal Soccer Schools coaches.
The training is designed by the Arsenal coaches and focuses on how to spur Grassroots Football Development in Ethiopia by nurturing children’s talent. The coaching series covers major topics such as elements that make up a young football player; qualities of a good coach; how to train young football players; receiving balls; moving in different directions; shooting; and possession, among others.