Coaches relish EPL, British Council Premier Skills experience

Coaches and officials of EPL,British Council Premier Skills programme

Participants in the just-concluded English Premier League, British Council Premier Skills project have commended the organisers of the project for giving them opportunity to enhance their skills.

The Premier Skills project ended recently after 13 years of training coaches in Lagos and Kano. Narrating his experience from the Premier Skills programme, Emmanuel Okere, a level one trained coach/educator said he explored the project to reform the lives of hundreds of touts and students in his Orile community.

According to him, “After the success of the training and phases of our project delivery, we were screened from 48 to 20 to participate in the mentorship coaching course delivered by qualified coaches from the English Premier League.

“At the conclusion of the training in 2014, we were given some grants to identify one issue in our community and employ the power of sports to address it.

“When I looked around my community, Coker Orile axis, Lagos, the students always engaged in inter-school fighting, while some others bullied their mates or gambled etc. So, we established a football club named Treasure FC, which we used to train the youths on leadership and life skills, as well as football at Coker Sports complex.

“The project accommodated both male and female youngsters of every ethnic group in Orile. The club helped them to socialise, interact and unite everyone.

“In fact, it took most of them away from drugs and substance abuse.”

According to Okere, over the years, the club has accommodated numerous new members and transformed to a social outfit that supports members’ celebrations such as wedding, house warming, birthday and funereal.

Another beneficiary of the