Chronicle EditorFungayi Munyoro Mutare Correspondent
THERE was a good turnout at the just-ended Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Coaches Strength Training, Conditioning and Injury Prevention workshop at a Mutare hotel. Twenty six participants, drawn from various sporting disciplines, took part. The ZOC workshop, which aimed at equipping coaches with skills about how to help improve athletes’ performance, was conducted by Kudzai Muzorewa and Philip Jeans who are lecturers with the American Council of Excises.
The two-day workshop had theory and practical sessions, focusing on aspects such as resistance exercises, testing and monitoring, recovery and injury prevention.
ZOC programme co-ordinator, Newman Gomendo, said the course was a success and they had plans of hosting more events in the province before year-end.
“It was a very successful course. We managed to reach out to all the targeted sporting disciplines,” he said.
“There was fair representation in all the disciplines. The Sports and Recreation played a pivotal role in ensuring that all the coaches attended.
“This was the first of its kind in the province and we have plans to host other courses before year end.
“We also had an anti-doping course here in Mutare last year which was also a success. We are very happy that the Manicaland people are appreciating the work that we are doing as an organisation,” he said.All the participants received certificates at the end of the course.
Sports and Recreation programme co-ordinator, Shupikai Berejena, said the course will go a long way in improving coaching skills of local coaches.
“Our province has been lacking in terms of strength and conditioning. Now that most of the associations were involved in the workshop, we are now assured of better coaches who now know how to handle the athletes.
“What is left is for us to go out and train others. As a province, we will do clinics with the people who have been trained. Our province will never be the same again,” he said.
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