adminNgqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
THE Heath Streak Multi Sports Academy has incorporated football into their programme and training sessions with the beautiful game kicking off yesterday morning.
The football coaching department is led by former Chicken Inn assistant coach, Dalubuhle Bhebhe.Announcing the inclusion of the world’s most popular sport at the academy at a Press conference yesterday, Heath Streak Consultancy and Sports Development chief executive officer Joseph Rego said they were aiming at offering lessons in various sporting disciplines and producing world class stars at the facility.
“While we started off as a cricket academy we are expanding our scope and intend accommodating as many sporting codes as possible so that we groom more future sportspersons who can represent the country with success,” he said.
Bhebhe said he is aiming at bringing a fresh approach to football skills development with a bias towards young footballers from the age of five years.
He said there was a huge gap in the lower ages as most football activity under the auspices of Zimbabwe Football Association begins at the age of 12.
“The academy will target youngsters between the ages of five and 17 with the emphasis on those below the age of 12 because that is where there is little development taking place.
“We will be different from other academies and my club’s is that our focus will mainly be aimed at skills development and we are adopting the appropriate methods not being used by most clubs such as reducing the size of the ground, ball and goal posts to suit the different age groups,” said Bhebhe.
The former Chiefs Academy head of coaching said use of the biggest size of the ball, the standard football pitch and goalposts used by adults was hampering the adequate development of young talent as it became a burden to the youngsters instead of aiding their growth.
“Giving a 10-year-old a size five ball is actually a burden because the ball is heavier and at such an age they need a smaller ball. Even the goalposts that we will be using are smaller than the standard ones that most junior football teams are using hence they fit into the diminutive frame of the youngsters.
“Our training programmes are designed to suit young players and improve their skills,” he said.
Bhebhe said they would be offering three programmes with the first seeing children training during the week in the afternoon when schools are open and another on school holidays, practising in the morning, while the third aspect will see the academy’s team of coaches who also include Philani Mlotshwa and Sizwe Hadebe visiting schools for coaching clinics.
Bhebhe has worked with teams such as Chicken Inn, Chiefs Academy, Bulawayo Jumbos, Sparrows and Botswana’s FC Satmos. He has worked with Gifford and also holds training sessions at Saint Thomas Aquinas Primary School.
A qualified teacher, Bhebhe holds a Level Three coaching certificate, did attachment at Spain’s La Liga side RCD Espanyol de Barcelona and also holds a Level Three Soccer Educator qualification from the Brazil Institute of Football.
Lessons at the academy will cost parents $50 a month but Rego said they are in a position to seek sponsorship for talented but under-privileged players.
“We cannot stop talented youngsters joining us because of financial problems and if we find such youngsters we can always approach various corporates to fund the footballers.
“While we appreciate the country’s financial situation, we believe companies should be at the forefront of supporting sports if they are to develop,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter