WINDHOEK - The Mario Football Foundation is hosting a holiday coaching clinic at the Academia Sports Complex in Windhoek, which started on Monday and ends on Friday.

Mario Nailenge, the director of the foundation, said more than 40 children have already enrolled and are partaking in the coaching clinic. The participants’ age range from seven to 17 and they include boys and girls. 
As part of the clinic’s package, the kids are offered well-balanced meals during their various training sessions and workouts, which start at 07:00 until the afternoon at 13h00 daily. 

The five-day coaching clinic is aimed at combining technical and basic on-field skills development with life skills, as well as character development in a constructive and supportive environment.
‘’We have one week left before the school starts, so I just want to keep them consistent in terms of sport development and also keep them busy,’’ Nailenge said.

Conroy Feris, one of the many parents who opted to enrol his son with the Mario Football Foundation coaching clinic, said such initiatives are very important in the lives of children and go a long way in shaping the character and confidence of youngsters.

Later in the year, the foundation will go on a tour of Cape Town which has been done for the past 11 years with the exception of 2017, due to financial constraints. 

The group will consist of five teams in five categories, namely, 10’s, 11’s, 12’s, 14’s and 17’s, who will be pitted against different academies in the Western Cape during the envisaged tour, which Neilenge strongly believes will provide the young ones with the needed exposure and a chance to play against top opponents at world-class facilities.