A quick glance at the past d e v e l o p m e n t a l structures in the annals of domestic football paints a discouraging
and scary picture to say the least. A classic example is that of our national youth team that competed in continental
youth qualifiers in a two-legged match against Cameroon. Riaan Cloete is the only member still playing competitive football from that exciting squad of promising youngsters. Positive thinking is one thing because each and every athlete enters the fray having visualised their success and done everything possible to convince themselves
that they indeed possess the power to succeed. However, mind games can be a little more pro-active than
this and if an element of doubt can be placed into their ultimate future, it undermines the athlete’s overall performance causing them to falter at the most critical moment or ultimately destroy their confidence.
Yours truly has deliberately chosen the above scenario to point out the consequences of the sudden mushrooming
of youth football academies and development programmes. Almost all the recreational clubs belonging to the affluent inhabitants of this country have resorted now to establishing youth structures under the pretext of
“unearthing” raw talent at grassroots level. While yours truly has no qualms with this new trend, I must confess
I’m a bit itchy with the nose-eating methodology applied to drive these camouflaged youth projects. Or let me rather put it this way, if those behind these well-defined projects are genuinely concerned about the development of young
raw talent, why charging exorbitant entry fees (N$5 000) per participant? I’m just asking. Some of these youth academies need to be regulated by the relevant authorities and should not be allowed to operate in a vacuum.
Beneficiaries from these bogus academies are children from well to do parents with deep pockets. These boys and girls are not necessarily the most gifted young talents on offer unless children from disadvantaged communities such as Havana, Okahandja Park, Greenwell Matongo and Babylon, whose parents are unable to cough up the out of reach high fees charged, are incorporated in the structures. Why not take the trouble and go out into the Gramadulas to unearth some hidden talent out there and adopt few highly gifted kids from that neck of the woods? Such a noble undertaking is likely to make a big difference in their lives. I’m just asking. In the conspicuous absence of presentatives in the country’s topflight league, the MTC Premiership, where will these youngsters be placed and what
is their final destination after they have graduated from these juicy youth structures? I’m just asking. In conclusion, is the training methods travelling in harmony with that of the country’s football governing body, the Namibia
Football Association (NFA) and are these youth coaches operating in compliance with standardized FIFA requirements? I’m just asking. Let me sign off, I rest my case.