Call to regulate soccer academies

Tendai Chara

Zimpapers Sports Hub

WEBSTER NYAMUKAPA expected more for US$60 a month.

He enrolled his son at a football academy believing the boy would receive proper coaching and develop his game.

What he found left him disappointed.

“All they had were balls, a whistle and football cones,” Nyamukapa said.

“I was paying US$60 every month just for my son to kick the ball around cones.”

He said the academy also operated from a dilapidated ground without ablution facilities.

Nyamukapa’s experience raises questions about the rapid growth of football academies across Zimbabwe.

The academies are opening in cities, at growth points and in remote mining communities as parents search for opportunities for their children.

In Harare alone, 35 academies entered the Under-14 section of the recent Munhumutapa Cup, while 32 competed in the Under-16 category.

For parents and guardians, the growth has brought hope that their children can receive proper training and perhaps develop into professional footballers.

But as the number of academies rises, questions remain over how they are registered, who checks the qualifications of their coaches and what minimum standards they must meet.

Bheki Nyoni, who established BN Soccer Academy in 1998, believes the growth should be welcomed.

“In my view, having many academies is a positive development,” Nyoni said.

“Young players from across the country are now being given opportunities to work hard and prove themselves.”

Nyoni, whose academy works with seven qualified coaches, believes the Zimbabwe Football Association has a responsibility to bring order to the sector.

“ZIFA should make sure that all academies are registered and monitored,” he said.

“Coaches must be properly qualified and the academies must have the right equipment.  There should be a standard template which applies to all academies.”

Nyoni said coaching children demands more than access to a football and a training ground.

Youth coaches need to understand age-appropriate training, injury prevention, technical development and talent identification.

“It is not just about kicking the ball around,” he said.

“There should be a gradual progression of players through technical and tactical development.”

Without trained coaches and a clear programme, children risk spending years following inconsistent training methods that do little to improve their game.

Nyoni, however, warned against measuring an academy’s effectiveness only by the number of players who eventually reach the professional game.

“Not every player trained at an academy will excel,” he said.

“The effectiveness of an academy is difficult to measure. From a group of, say, 100, one might notice that only a few players have the talent to excel.”

While Nyamukapa’s experience raises concerns about value for money, other academies are being kept alive by coaches using their own resources.

Mike Mahembe runs an academy at Mavhu Secondary School in Marange and says lack of resources is limiting youth development in rural communities.

“In my case, I am using my pocket money to buy equipment,” Mahembe said.

“I am doing this out of passion, with no meaningful financial rewards.”

His experience shows another side of the academy boom.

Not every poorly equipped academy is necessarily exploiting parents. Some are community projects run by people trying to give children an opportunity despite having little financial support.

But passion alone cannot replace qualified coaching, proper equipment and a clear development programme.

For Nyoni, the answer is not to discourage new academies, but to register, monitor and support them.

More academies may mean more opportunities for young footballers, but growth without clear standards leaves parents exposed.

For Nyamukapa, the question is more immediate.

What exactly did his US$60 buy?