By Sampson Adedeji
In order to improve football development in Nigeria, the assistant coach of the Nigeria National League side Shooting Stars, Yinka Gullit has explained the importance of grassroot football.
While speaking on the Platform of Oyo State Grassroot Football Coaching Education ( OSGFCE) coach Yinka emphasised that grassroot is the source of any development and it must be taken seriously.
” First and foremost we need to define what grassroot football is, grassroot football can be define as non professional game but a fundamental pyramid of football development.
So if we are talking of grassroot football, is very important and is kind of game played by masses at a level where participation, passion or love of the game are the driving forces.
And some people don’t have that believe that this can be a professional job, they just play it because they want to know about football.
When we are talking about grassroot development, is process of deserved people organised themselves loving to improve the well-being of family, community and society.
But when we are talking about grassroot football that cannot be overempahasised because it play a viral role on our local community.
It played a vital role in our local community, state and nation not only do it help people that plays it, it helps to spot sporting talents as well.
When starred grassroot football we see people that are talented so from there you have the believe that these people if they are well trained and developed they can make it in football.
And when we go further we cam be saying that grassroot gives countless of youngsters and adults a chance to have fun and enjoy themselves and At the same time it created opportunities for people to develop their ability.
That is where coaching start, officiating and administrations because grassroot enhanced everybody to work together because if you want to be the best referee, coach or administrator you must start from somewhere
Grassroot also help young people to integrate and make friends from different background because you worked with a lots of people from different background.
No racial or discrimination at the grassroot, so it help a lot to develop football and the country.
The most important aspect of grassroot football is that it takes youth off the street because without sports I can tell you that the nation would have been down.
Sports especially football, a lots of people are engaged in the game and at the same time development of profession players if there is no grassroot where can we get professional players?
Everything starts at the grassroot level, I will always root for grassroot because I started there and I worked deeply with the players,” he explained.
He further encouraged the upcoming coaches to take the players developments seriously than pursuing trophies.
The program which was organised under the auspices of Oyo State Grassroot Football Coaching Education has a lots of coaches learning via virtual means with coach Bolarinwa Obalola ( Kobayashi) and shooting stars director of academy coach Ayo Adeyemo piloting the affairs.