Course aims to train the trainers

Local sports coaches and administrators have been training this week to become community educators as part of the Oceania Sports Education Programme’s (OSEP) community trainer’s course.

OSEP coordinator Sainimili Talatoka and presenter Gaberieli Qoro have been taking local sports enthusiast through their passes at the Telecom Sports Arena as part of the weeklong programme.

Talatoka says that the ultimate goal of the programme is to equip locals with the skills to become community trainers in order to deliver the various sports education programmes to the community.

Currently the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee have to bring in experts from the Oceania National Olympic Committee, such as Talatoka, to deliver sports education programmes here in the islands.

However, 12 dedicated sportsmen and women have committed to taking the weeklong course which they will be assessed and certified to deliver community based sports education programmes here on Rarotonga and across the outer islands.

This includes sports and life skills as well as important messages about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

Talatoka says that this means that community sports coaches and administrators can use sport as a tool for educating the community on HIV awareness and prevention.

OSEP is a partnership between the Australian Sport Commission (ASC), Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) and the Olympic Sport Federations in Oceania (OSFO) and they are committed to producing competent and world-class athletes, coaches and officials in the Pacific through continuous improvement of its sport education resources.