March 18, 2016 By sahr Morris Jr.
Sierra Leonean football instructor John Keister is confident that the ongoing Premier Skills initiative will help create and build a stronger foundation in the country’s football.
The Premier Skills programme, which was launched on 13 March, 2016 is run by the English Premier League and the British Council in Sierra Leone and is currently training about 72 grassroots football coaches and referees who were selected from across the country.
According to Kesiter, the programme will breach the learning barrier within the football family and help boost the game from the foundation, which he said is the grassroots.
“This is a way for Sierra Leone football to start from the grassroots, and it is definitely not going to be a one-off programme,” Keister said, adding that the expert training will help participants to develop and run community action projects that use football as an instrument to transform lives and contribute to the development of safer and stronger communities.
The course is being led by Head Coach, Warren Leat from Stoke City Football Club and he is supported by Rich Dexter, Ollie Ezard and Ryan McGregor (all coaches at Hull City Football Club).
Premier Skills in Sierra Leone is being jointly organised by the British Council and Premier League, in association with the Sierra Leone Football Association, Craig Bellamy Foundation and Restless Development. The training course is currently taking place in Freetown from 14 to 20 March, 2016.