The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the long-term development of football in Barbados by highlighting the completion of the FIFA Coach Educators’ Development Pathway by three of its coaches.

The BFA announced that National Senior Men’s Head Coach and BFA Head of Coaching Education Kent Hall, National Senior Men’s Assistant Coach Marlon Harte, and National Senior Women’s Head Coach Kerry Trotman all recently completed the final component of the two-year FIFA program, and the international training required to become FIFA accredited coach educators.

Hall said the FIFA Coach Educators’ Development Pathway, which consisted of a combination of individual e-learning, group online and group on-site sessions, as well as individual mentoring, was a significant development opportunity for BFA coach educators and will now enable them to provide an improved standard of delivery for coaching education initiatives for local coaches.

BFA President Randy Harris commended the recent achievements of the coaches, citing their completion of the program as another step forward for the Association in its mission to lay sustainable foundations for football on the island.

“Building capacity is critical in driving long-term football development, and the BFA remains committed to providing an international standard of best practice in all facets of football in Barbados,” he said. “The fact that three of our coaches have successfully completed this educational development pathway will add further depth to our local coaching infrastructure, which is fundamental to strengthening the football landscape in Barbados for generations to come. The BFA will continue to invest in and prioritize high-quality coaching education as we seek to professionalize all aspects of the sport, and to be an exemplar of progressive football development in the Caribbean.”

The FIFA Coach Educators’ Development Pathway aims to enhance the quality of football coaching globally by equipping coach educators with the necessary tools and knowledge to train local coaches effectively. It emphasizes the important role that well-trained coach educators play in the overall development of football coaches and, consequently, players.

Kent Hall and Kerry Trotman will additionally be heading to Guatemala next month with BFA Technical Director Sulaiman Nunes for the 2^nd Concacaf Coach Education Conference, coined as a landmark regional learning and knowledge sharing experience for coaches, technical leaders, and visionaries within the football community under the theme: ‘Coaching Excellence: Built on Standards, Driven By Service, Support, and Sustainability.’