VINCENT MAFUTA*
VTM Football Club -an affiliate of the Kweneng Regional Football Association plying their trade in the KRFA Division One South, last Friday held a capacity building symposium for the players, technical team and support staff at Lekidi Auditorium.
The symposium covered amongst other critical areas of concern and pertinent issues such as life in the Covid 19 era, Laws of the Game, mental preparedness of an athlete and many other topics. Giving a key note address, Competitions and Regional Coordinator Manager at the BFA, Setete Phuthego, encouraged players to have a healthy and risk free lifestyle. He mentioned that by doing so, players will be deciding their own destiny and career path which will eventually lead to staying longer plying their trade as footballers.
Phuthego also advised players to avoid indulgence in alcohol, women and drugs as this would adversely affect their performance on the field of play. He urged them to jealously guard against associating with wrong company and lead clean lives. Players were also encouraged to optimise the usage of new technology in sport, learn new skills and use sport science to adopt to global sport evolution. Phuthego encouraged the players to stay focused and disciplined in order to leave a legacy when they decide to hang their boots. Players were also urged to invest positively in life after football as their careers are very short and to some extent, not financially rewarding.
VTF Football Club players and technical team also had the opportunity to learn a thing or two on the Laws of the Game. Phodiso Rasetsoga, a member of the Referees’ Committee from the BFA took the players through their paces in learning the latest changes sanctioned by the world football governing body, FIFA, concerning the Laws of the Games. He emphasized the need for the players, technical team and supporters to have the knowledge and understanding of the laws of the game which guide the way the game of football is played. Rasetsoga mentioned that on the part of the match officials, their main duty is to interpret and apply these laws of the game to the latter.
An opportunity was also availed to the attendees to learn a lot on the Conditions of Service as presented by Harry Koata, a renowned and respected sports consultant. Players were advised to carefully read and understand all the sections of the Conditions of Service in order for them to understand their (players) deliverables and what the employer’s responsibilities are. They were also advised to carefully read and understanding the different policies developed by the employer with the aim of harmonizing the processes and the way of doing things within the VTM Group.
These policies include Human Resource, Safety, Health and Environment (SHE), Marketing and Communications, Abuse and Harassment at the Workplace as well as Record Management. Koata also cautioned players against signing their employment contracts without carefully reading and understanding the contents therein. He encourage them to go to the extent of engaging legal minds if need be before committing themselves by signing on the dotted lines.
The main reason why management of VTM Football Club came up with this initiative was to close the gap identified by the Club at the start of the Covid 19 pandemic of the need to empower, capacitate and sensitise the players and technical team on the survival skills as well as planning for life after football.
*CHAIRMAN