Premier Skills, the global coach and referee development programme run by the Premier League and the British Council, returns to Pretoria.

The Premier Skills Phase Two course will run from 26-31 August 2018 and will provide intensive training for 38 grassroots football coaches and 24 referees.

Premier Skills uses football to develop a brighter future for young people around the world, drawing on the global appeal of the Premier League and its expertise in delivering community programmes in the UK, alongside the British Council’s global network and track-record of delivery.

This Premier Skills Phase Two course will be hosted at the High Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria and will see Premier Skills coaches provide training sessions and educational materials to participants who will then be able to use and share their new skills in their own schools and communities.

The course in Pretoria is being jointly organised by the British Council, Premier League and Safa and will be led by Premier League coach educator Graham Robinson, who will be supported by UK club coaches, Jack Day from Stoke FC and Richard Dexter from Hull City FC.

The programme has nurtured three South African coach educators over the last few years and local Premier Skills coach educator Nomonde Mashabane, who completed the programme in 2015, is committed to the growth of women’s football locally and works to train new coaches in communities across South Africa. She said: ‘I love being part of this programme, I have a real passion for women’s football and programmes such as Premier Skills expands the game irrespective of gender, race or ability.’

Premier League director of international relations Tim Vine said: ‘Premier Skills has already had a huge impact around the world, and notably here in South Africa, where we have run the programme since 2013. Phase Two uses football to teach numeracy, literacy and nutrition to the coaches on the programme.

‘This Phase Two Premier Skills course in Pretoria will further develop the participating coaches’ experience in areas like running youth tournaments and festivals, and how to use football to engage particularly hard-to-reach young people.

‘We have a strong team of Premier League club coaches delivering the course, alongside our excellent South African coach educators, who will be able to relay their experiences of progressing through the project themselves. I am sure Premier Skills will continue to have a hugely positive impact on all those taking part,’ Vine commented.

Coaches and referees from the following NGOs and football clubs will participate in the Pretoria leg of the programme:

Footballing Girls
Inner-City Ambassadors FC
Education through Soccer
Dlala Ntombazane
Grassroots Soccer

Photo: Premier League website