Golden Jaguars Head Coach Denzil Thompson is thrilled to incorporate the new techniques and skills he learnt when he participated in the premier ‘FIFA’s Fitness Programme in Football- the first regional course in CONCACAF’ which was held in Fort Lauderdale, USA earlier this month.
The October 16-19 course aimed at introducing the elaborate new programme ‘small sided games and integrating physical preparation.’ It was run by FIFA Developmental Officer Angenie Kanhai and featured 16 CONCACAF coaches and trainers from 41 participants.
“It was a great experience because football of today is no longer being played at a slow pace. That is why they had this course to let you know they have an aerobic and anaerobic component needed to play at a high level,” Thompson said, in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sports.
He is proud to be the first Guyanese to participate in the programme and successfully achieve that level of certification.
Thompson said the course covered topics such as traumatic training speed, maximum aerobic capacity, maximum aerobic power, maximum aerobic strength, as well as aerobic and anaerobic lactic acid levels. “You also had to know how to integrate small sided games within the practice sessions to develop these components,” he said. “It is important with the experience you would get to know the pulse rates to show you how to use these trainings. Though it was not new to me due to my training in Brazil, it was a refresher.”
According to Thompson, “This was a high level course because of the requirements CONCACAF requested in the line of certificates. Failing to have a certain level meant you could not have been nominated by CONCACAF to be there, you had to fit the requirements they called for.” Asked how this type of training can help to improve the players, he said, “It will improve the ability to develop the players to have an aerobic capacity to perform at a high level of repeating the system and style they are required to play.”
The Head Coach also said that he was instructed by CFU representative Anton Corneal to host a symposium for coaches and physical trainers to teach him the new techniques that he learnt during the programme.
