By Cornelius Ehimiaghe
Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative has trained additional 35 netball coaches in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
CSED Initiative is a sport for change Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with a mission to use Nigerian children and youth participating in sports related activities to promote literacy and their social well-being. Its primary goal is to develop well balanced future sports men and women.
The NGO also aims at using sports to empower young persons to fulfil their potentials and achieve their dream of earning a living, while representing Nigeria in international sporting competitions.
The two-day training which was organized in collaboration with Airforce Secondary School Airforce Base Rumuomasi, Port-Harcourt, for Physical Education (P.E.) Teachers in the state, is part of ‘Project 2027’ CSED Initiative quest to provide Nigerian school children and youths access to learn and play the game of netball in a safe space.
Project 2027 is a netball empowerment programme that aim to train and equip one thousand two hundred P.E. teachers and practitioners in Nigeria in the sport of netball.
Notably, the latest training which was held at the premises of the Airforce Secondary School Airforce Base Rumuomasi, has increased the number of trained netball coaches under Project 2027 to 411.
Meanwhile, teachers and practitioners have been trained in a number of states across the country. This include; Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Ondo, Taraba etc.
Interestingly, Netball is the only sport in the world that is specifically designed for girls and women. CSED Initiative sees the game of netball as an important tool that could be used to promote the general health and well-being of the girl child, as well as empower them to blend sport with their academic pursuit.
Moreover, in line with Netball World goal of promoting the inclusivity of the game, two secondary schools in Nigeria, Tare Pet School Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and Community Secondary Commercial School (CSCS), Itam in Uyo State currently have boys’ netball teams, alongside their female netball team.
At the event, 35 participants from various secondary schools including the Nigeria Navy secondary, Army Day Secondary School, private and public secondary schools, in the city, as well as two Cameroonian refugees who represented the Cameroonian community that are based in Adagom 3, Camp in Ogoja Local Government Area (LGA), were trained.
The training was facilitated by coaches Edema Fuludu, Funsho Ekundayo and Onome Fuludu. These coaches were supported by Deborah Bakari (a University of Benin Student) who has been playing netball in the past four years in Uhoghua (Benin City).
The newly trained coaches were first taught the importance of safeguarding and safety in the sports environment which was covered by coach Onome Fuludu a graduate of Guidance and Counselling, who is also a qualified safeguarding practitioner.
His presentation focused on the importance of sporting and educational authorities ensuring that students and athletes are supported to take part in sports in a safe environment. The new netball coaches were also provided with additional access to free online safeguarding training.
This was followed by the basics of the game, netball rules, applications of the rules, how to mark a netball court, the different netball positions, as well as the roles that are attached to these positions.
Warming-up, passing the ball, throwing the ball, the restriction of the movement of players in certain parts of the netball court, practicing of how to throw the ball and how to score, were also covered. This was then followed by a practice game between the new coaches who were divided into team blue and team purple.
Some volunteers like Gold Dappa-Wogu also benefited from this free netball training that uses a training manual that was developed by Ambassador Mary Waya (a Netball Africa certified instructor). The trained netball coaches were provided with free T-shirts that were donated by Lord’s Taverners, a charity based in the United Kingdom (UK).
Speaking at the event, the Commandant of the Airforce Secondary School, Port Harcourt, Wing Commander Nasir Adamu who was instrumental in bringing CSED Initiative to Port Harcourt expressed his satisfaction and gratitude.
Wing Commandant Adamu said he was very pleased to see an NGO who has passion for carrying out developmental and empowerment programmes that are targeted at the girl child.
He urged the participants to take advantage of the training and become reliable coaches in a sport that is being revived in Nigeria, adding that he will visit the schools to monitor progress and use of the freely donated netball starter packs (a pair of netball rims/nets. finger held whistles, two sets of netball training bibs, and netball balls) to the representatives of the participating schools.
Similarly, the National Coordinator of CSED Initiative, Edema Fuludu used the opportunity to inform participants that the game will soon become a National Sports Festival event and urged them to be serious and as enthusiastic as they have exhibited during the two days training event.