The future looks bright for coach education in Papua New Guinea with the PNG Rugby Football League now focused on coaching accreditation course program in the country.
The program is being run by the PNGRFL in collaboration with the Australian NRL.
Rugby league coaches from all local leagues affiliated to the PNGRFL recently completed the first stage of the three phase program to achieve a PNGRFL coaching certificate accreditation to the NRL.
Program facilitator David Westley said they’re also looking at involving teachers at the school level so that the kids can be ready for the future to be a Hunter or a Kumul or even an NRL player.
Westley said all the coaches were very keen to learn during the coaching course.
Westley led the coaches through the basics of the game including skill drills then progressed to the next stage leading to real game situations.
“I coach with passion so that transferred into the way I run the clinic.
“I had all the coaches try all the skills out and we just gradually worked our way up to extending the drill and putting it into a game which was a bit of a process but they really enjoyed it and had fun.
“Working with coach education I got a lot out of that so I can come back in phase two of the program and bring a lot more for them,” Westley said.
There will be ongoing assessment following the completion of the program.
If they do well, then they’ll get full accreditation but if they need a bit of help and advice, then there’ll be an assessor assigned to watch them during a game and bring back information so they can help them develop.
Westley thanked the Australian NRL and PNGRFL for having him on board and being part of this process.