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A LEADING football coach has flown in from the US to ensure that soccer-crazy women in the kingdom are up for the challenge of competing against the international squad in national league competition.
In preparation for the tournament, local club Venus’ former captain Tala Bashmi approached the US Embassy requesting an expert to work with the players to further develop their technique.
Sari Rose, 39, the assistant technical director of coaching and player development for North Carolina Youth Soccer, was delighted to return to the kingdom to stage a five-day boot camp, having visited Bahrain before in 2011 to work with the Bahrain National team and the youth squad.
During her stay she has also visited Bahrain School and St Christopher’s School to talk football with pupils and she has trained members of the U14 national team. She also talked about sports awareness with members of the Bahrain Mobility International, an NGO that caters for the handicapped and disabled in the kingdom.
Two hours of her evenings on the island have been dedicated to the Venus Soccer Club and she has worked with them on dribbling skills, passing and shooting.
Coach Rose said: “Each night has been a little different with the girls. We worked on technical skills including passing and receiving. We also tackled defending, attacking and shooting. I even went with the team to the Bahrain vs North Korea World Cup Qualifier last Thursday evening to analyse the game.
“Part of this trip is US goodwill and the other part is giving the ladies footballing ideas they can develop on their own. Hopefully, this will keep them enjoying the sport and give them something to work on in the future.”
Vibrant Venus aim to rise to the football challenge yet again after landing a terrific treble during the early days of women’s league football in the kingdom. The team members, who come from different nationalities and backgrounds including Bahrain, Jordan and the UK, have come a long way from playing a friendly kick-around.
Since its beginning in 2011, the Venus Soccer Club, sponsored by Al Reem Centre Riffa, fought hard and secured three title championships in season 6, season 9 and season 11 of the Arsenal Soccer School Bahrain (ASSB) Ladies League sponsored by GulfWeekly.
The squad continues to train and develop skills with the ASSB once-a-week at Soccer City in Janabiya but this season Venus will compete against eight other teams in the inaugural Bahrain Football Association (BFA) Women’s League at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa, as revealed earlier in GulfWeekly.
Venus defender Alyaa Bataineh, 27, a St Christopher’s School teacher, said: “We are super excited about the new season because the BFA has taken over the league.
“Playing matches at the BFA home stadium also means a lot to us and we will have a lot more tough competition because the national team will be entering it. But we are more than determined to do well.”
Major rivals include Seef Dental, Joga, Eastern Flames from neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Arsenal Ladies who will be changing their name and donning a new kit for the coming season. The toughest task is likely to be against the Bahrain National Women’s squad members who are currently ranked 86th by FIFA. The national team will have two teams for the league competition.
North Carolina has 73,000 players that are a part of 105 soccer clubs and coach Rose’s job is to help conduct the courses to license the coaches for the clubs.
She also oversees their state Olympic development programme which is the first stage in terms of making youth national teams. Having worked with various players and coaches over the years, coach Rose has been impressed with Venus’ hunger and drive to succeed.
She said: “To be honest, in the States, I have worked with kids as little as four years old to ladies that are now in our full national team. That being said, I am really impressed by the passion in Bahrain and how the sport is growing on the women’s side.
“The players have a strong heritage and love of the sport but it’s really been amazing to see it grow. And it’s great to see it in Venus. These women are paying to be a part of the club, wanting to learn and asking good questions. Seeing the passion for the sport in them is huge.
“Also, just their dedication is great. They play well and they improved from the first night. And I can see that they want to learn.
“I think the biggest thing is that these ladies are working during the day and then in the evening are coming out to play and it’s hot. The fact that they love the sport so much to give up their time is incredible and I have worked them hard.”
For aspiring footballers, Rose advises them to keep practicing and try new things. She added: “The big thing that I have been speaking to students about at the schools is dedication. Coaches will come in and give you information but the best players in the world are the ones that are constantly practicing on their own.
“Also, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes kids feel if they make a mistake they are not good enough. Nobody is brilliant. Nobody wakes up in the morning like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. It takes practice. Can they be dedicated and take the time and also have the mentality that they are constantly working to improve? It’s not just about winning. It’s about playing the game.”
The BFA Women’s League will commence on October 7 at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on the BFA pitches. All games will be played on Wednesdays and the full number of teams will be confirmed soon.
* For further details, visit www.arsenalschoolbahrain.com or email john@arsenalschoolbahrain.com Also, follow the national team’s activities on Instagram @BahrainWNT.
