Scottish FA delivering coach education in Rwanda

A group of 120 grassroots coaches and school teachers in Karongi, Rwanda, took the latest steps in their coaching journeys this month as they gained coaching qualifications from the Scottish Football Association's coach education department.

The project, supported by UEFA Together funding, took two of the association’s coach educators, Alan White and Jamie Reynolds, more than 4,000 miles from Scotland to the town of Rubengera in the Karongi district, where they delivered three days of sessions, split between the pitch and the classroom.

The first two days saw the delivery of two Introduction to Coaching awards – the first step in the Scottish FA Coach Education pathway – while the third day on the pitch was based around an innovative games programme.

"In my experience, the coaches in Karongi that I’ve worked with always run with any education or any development opportunity they are given and it speaks volumes," said Scottish FA coach educator Alan White. "The energy was fantastic and it was a privilege for us to be there working with some excellent coaches."

Leaving a tangible legacy

The funding from UEFA Together will also allow the resurfacing of a pitch facility at a school in Rubengera, with that particular project delivery overseen by Scottish Football for Rwanda, a registered charity set up in 2020. The organisation takes young people from Scotland to Rwanda on coaching trips, and has set up and funded the Karongi Football Academy, which has grown into one of the largest academies in the central African country.

The Scottish FA coach educators also donated a collection of Scotland kit which will benefit the Karongi Football Academy and other local grassroots clubs in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.

"This project demonstrates the true spirit of UEFA Together – sharing expertise, building local capacity and creating sustainable opportunities for the development of football, helping to create a lasting legacy that will benefit coaches and young players for years to come," said Zoran Laković, UEFA deputy general secretary.