After the Women's Coach's Course earlier this month, the Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA) Senior Coaches Course was completed last week by all participants, marking another milestone in the development of football in the region.

The course was specifically designed to move the coaches into a senior phase of coaching, equipping them with advanced skills and knowledge to handle the challenges of leading teams at higher levels. 

Coaches from clubs around Rarotonga took part in the week-long course, and were mostly nominated by their clubs.

CIFA strongly believes in developing local talent and investing in coaches to build successful teams for future tournaments. The funding for this program came from CIFA with support from Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), making the course free for all. 

Tahiri Elikana, CIFA technical manager, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the course, stating: "It is important that we aim to develop all members involved with football clubs throughout the country. Coaches play a vital role when it comes to football as they are the people responsible for their team or club's success."

Elikana also encouraged all existing coaches to join these courses continually to refresh and enhance their knowledge and skills in Football.

These initiatives taken by CIFA demonstrate their commitment to growing local talent and providing aspiring coaches with opportunities for professional growth.

One more course is scheduled for Rarotonga-based clubs before CIFA begins organising courses for the outer islands.

The scheduled course will specifically target goalkeeping knowledge improvement. This indicates that CIFA is keen on covering all aspects of coaching expertise to ensure quality guidance and training across different segments of football.

CIFA invites all interested Football Coaches committed to improving their skills and elevating their capabilities to register at CIFA or communicate with their home clubs for participating in future courses. This is a unique opportunity to be part of the promising journey of football development in the Cook Islands and contribute to the success of future teams on both local and international platforms.

CIFA Media