Western Branch inspired by Jim Fraser visit

Having recently visited Riverina and Southern Branches in 2017, it was time for former Socceroos keeper Jim Fraser to work with aspiring coaches for Goalkeepers within the Western Branch.

Over 40 coaches attended sessions at Bathurst and then Dubbo at the end of October for Part 1 of the Community Goalkeeping Course.

Coach and Development Manager Andrew Fearnley was thrilled to have seen the uptake of coaches along with the Goalkeepers attending the sessions.

“Having Jim, and Oscar, out here in Western NSW to run Goalkeeper specific courses is a fantastic opportunity to target a key area within coaching that is often over-looked.

“The response in terms of the number of attendees was a testament to both the willingness of coaches to learn to assist in the development of this key area, and also the need to have these courses.”

Fearnley added that the course has “enabled the coaches to gain an understanding of the techniques and drills that can be used by coaches to train goalkeepers.

“The candidates were engaged with the new ideas that were presented by Jim and it was pleasing to see a large number of the candidates keen to become involved in training goalkeepers.

The coaches will also receive a resource to help both them and their goalkeepers.”

Jim Auld, President of Western Branch, welcomes the visit and is in preparation for more in the near future.

“We are working closely with Andrew, Oscar and Football NSW to deliver more sessions to our coaches at locations and times of the year that they need most.

“From around March next year we will be in full swing with short courses and workshops to help all our volunteer coaches across the Branch.”

The second component of the Part 2 of the course will be hosted early in the new year once candidates and coaches have brought these techniques into their training sessions and have had the time to practice and reflect.