GFF hosts inaugural student referee training

Jun 19, 2024 Sports

The GFF Referees Department held its inaugural student referee field training session on Saturday.

Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary School Championship

Kaieteur Sports – The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Referees Department held its inaugural student referee field training session on Saturday which was attended by seven student athletes representing schools participating in the ongoing Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary Championship.

Five girls from President’s College – Alicia Raymond, Beyonce Bennett, Serendi Xavier, Danelle Fredricks and Jenel Bellarmine– along with two boys from Queen’s College – Matthew Persaud and Darren Graham – participated in a refereeing fitness session and drills on June 15 at Queen’s College Sports Ground in Georgetown. They were all between the ages of 14 and 16.

The initiative forms a key component of the FIFA FOOTBALL for School (F4S) programme, which is a collaboration among FIFA, the GFF and the Ministry of Education.

Participants are all active footballers for their respective schools but have embraced the referee training programme to enhance their game knowledge and skills for the future.

The session was conducted by Lenval Peart, Head of the Referees Department, alongside Fitness Instructor Tyrone Tyrrell.

Peart said he was satisfied with the group’s active participation and their dedication to gaining a broader perspective of the game.

“Our first student referee programme is off to a great start even with the rain. The participants showed great enthusiasm. We focused on fitness and introduced them to match fundamentals. They interacted well and responded positively to instructions,” Peart shared.

“I was absolutely pleased to see so many young women showing an interest in the game from the refereeing perspective.”

Beyonce Bennette from President’s College said she loves football and found the session enjoyable because it gave her a new perspective on the game: “As a referee, you must always watch the infield.”

Dellon Graham, a student at Queen’s College, said he is always ready to learn new things “and since I like playing football, why not join the refereeing programme and understand another role of the game.”

He added: “At first I thought being a referee was simple, but today I learnt there are some different technicalities.”

The refereeing training initiative is ongoing and available to all schools participating in the GFF-Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary Championship.

“The success of the F4S programme requires sustained investment in capacity building across the entire school football ecosystem. We need to develop more referees, match commissioners and venue coordinators within the school system. My hope is that many of these young people will eventually move on serve the game at other levels with the knowledge and skills they will require from these training programmes. These are important step and we endeavour to establish the GFF Schools football Secretariat later this year.” President Forde remarked.

The tournament is Guyana’s largest girls’ competition and signifies the commencement of the implementation phase of the FIFA Football For School (F4S) programme, established in collaboration with FIFA, the GFF, and the Government of Guyana on May 12, 2022.

More than a thousand student athletes have enrolled in the national competition, which culminated in the finalisation of the Round of 16 on June 2, following matches across nine regions.

The Round of 16 will feature Santa Rosa Secondary, Waramuri Primary, Top Westminster Secondary, Queen’s College, New Campbellville Secondary, Bush Lot Secondary, Woodley Park Secondary, Charity Secondary, Tucville Secondary, President’s College and Ann’s Grove Secondary competing at the GFF Providence facility.

Games are set for June 22 and 23.

Blue Water Shipping, FIFA FOOTBALL for School, Guyana Football Federation, Under-15 Girls' National Secondary Championship

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