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A controversial sports academy is finally set to kick-off and open its doors to football-loving youngsters in a few days’ time.
Tekkers, named after the British soccer slang term for technique, will be operated by former Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain (ASSB) stalwarts Paul Shipwright and his wife, coach and international hotshot, Deena Rahman.
Their enterprise will be based at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) sporting facility, located next to King Hamad University Hospital in Busaiteen.
According to Rahman, they want to continue spreading the sport across the kingdom, targeting new football-loving youngsters mostly living in the Muharraq area, although the couple has struck a deal this week with the Bahrain Rugby Football Club on the edge of Saar to also stage regular coaching sessions.
The ASSB, based at Soccer City in Janabiya, continues to attract hundreds of students of all ages. Its new season will feature a number of training courses and activities for both boys and girls, along with a special training course for women.
Undeterred Rahman, a Bahrain national team midfielder, said: “The whole point is that we want a lot of children playing football. I had that vision when I came to Bahrain five-and-a-half years ago, especially with girls’ football. I grew a massive programme in Bahrain and the result of that now is that there are lots of girls playing the sport. That’s all we want to do. We care about the children and have their best interests at heart.
“Also, we are located on a different part of the island from many other academies with different clientele that we can reach. There isn’t any real soccer school in that area at the moment, so hopefully we can attract children that have not had the opportunity to join one.
“We are not even trying to compete with anyone else but we are confident about what we can offer. We have already targeted the French School of Bahrain in Busaiteen and will be contacting other schools as we know that there will be a lot of new people coming to the island looking for sporting activities.”
The couple, who have played a major role in the development of youth football in the UK and internationally, aim to offer boys and girls between the ages of four and 16, a 13-week programme with the option of training once or twice a week.
Shipwright and Rahman ‘regrettably’ resigned from ASSB, as reported exclusively in GulfWeekly in a move that stunned parents and pupils before the summer break.
They revealed plans to continue coaching football in the kingdom but initial plans were placed on hold. Their former Arsenal colleagues reacted quickly to inform members it was business as normal with one of its coaching mainstays John Mackenzie being promoted and ‘improvements’ promised.
While official classes kick off on September 6, free sessions start from Tuesday to give children the opportunity to ‘play the Tekkers way’ and register, while also allowing parents to check out the facilities that include a full-size artificial pitch, an indoor hall and a coffee shop.
Shipwright said: “We are very lucky to be a part of the RCSI facility as it is absolutely fantastic. We will be able to still offer sports during the hot summer months and parents will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee, use the Wi-Fi in the lounge area or watch live football games on the big screens while they wait for their kids.”
At a later stage, Rahman and Shipwright plan on staging other activities. Rahman said: “Initially, Tekkers is going to be football and everything you see at the moment is football. Once we get going and it’s established with a good routine, then we want to offer fitness as well as a running club and potentially even other sports such as futsal and even possibly dodge ball.
“We have got a lot of ideas and as we grow that’s all going to come out. Obviously football is our thing but I have got a lot of experience in other areas as well.”
Rahman envisions the fitness side to be more like a slimming club called Tekkers Trim which will combine lifestyle and diet with some fitness classes and the end result will feature the members running a marathon-relay in the kingdom.
Rahman said: “The goal at the end is looking to possibly run the marathon relay. So people that sign up with Tekkers Trim will get the opportunity to meet together, have a fitness session, talk about healthy eating and perhaps sort out a plan for them to follow. That’s what we are looking to do with the adults but with the children side of it I’m looking to focus more on their agility, speed, co-ordination and that kind of stuff. I will be doing exercise sessions targeting that because it’s something that is kind of neglected in football.
“We focus a lot on playing which is great but if they haven’t got the fundamental movement then that is where issues happen. We aim to hone in on those kinds of aspects later on so we will add additional classes to focus on that.”
Running is another passion that Rahman wants to focus on and encourage others to participate in. She added: “Running is something that I have been quite keen of since I’ve been in Bahrain, having run the marathon, the half-marathon and all sorts of runs. The club will be an opportunity for the younger ages to get them to enjoy running.”
The couple also intend to start a football league in the future and perhaps even take part in the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) Women’s Football League.
Shipwright said: “Starting a football league would definitely be an intention, making sure that our teams play against the local clubs in the country which would be brilliant for their development and progress.
“We think competitive matches are really important. Training is great but children really learn a lot from matches so we will be looking to do that as soon as we can.”
It is perhaps understandable that launching a league would mean a lot to both Shipwright and Rahman as they were instrumental in starting up a ladies league in Bahrain during their Arsenal days, attracting more than 100 young women to the sport.
Shipwright added: “The ladies league now is where it should be. It should be run by the BFA. We support what they are doing and we will give them any help that the need and join that league as soon as we have sufficient numbers to do so.”
* Tekkers classes will run throughout the week with the exception of Friday. Prices start at BD75 for weekly sessions and the club’s kit costs BD17. On Tuesday, there will be a free session for the U6 and U8 kids from 4pm to 5pm and a class for U14 from 5.30pm to 7pm. On Thursday, there is a class from 4pm to 5.30pm for the U12 and at 5.30pm to 7pm for the girls. On Saturday, the U10 play from 4pm to 5.30pm and the U16 class is from 5.30pm to 7pm.
For details, contact 37709010, 39319464 or email tekkersinfo@gmail.com
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Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain is concentrating on its continued development. Hameed Al Kooheji, managing director, said: “Since its inception in 2009, Arsenal School – a top class soccer academy – has achieved unprecedented success.”
For more information, visit www.arsenalschoolbahrain.com or call 39911615, 17561615 or email info@arsenalschoolbahrain.com
