Dhaka, May 21: AFC Elite Instructor Dean May was hopeful of Bangladesh’s prospects at the end of a 6-day goalkeeping coaches’ course last week.

The first level AFC Goalkeeping Coaching Certificate Course included 17 participants from clubs, districts as well as the Bangladesh Football Federation itself.

Also Australia’s national goalkeeper development manager, May said the participants were keen and enthusiastic to learn.

The course would help coaches think of the game holistically instead of in parts, thought. “This is also how we do it in Australia,” he said explaining goalkeeping strategy was integrated into the game with appropriate curriculum and training of coaches.

May said, the course dealt with strategizing goalkeeping decisions in the context of a team’s overall game strategy and attack plan.

He said the coaches’ course helped with the non-technical aspects of goalkeeping too. The 40-hour course, with 22 hours for practical sessions and 18 for theoretical sessions had 2 practical assessments and 1 theory exam, is set to become a licensing requirement for clubs from 2018 in line with AFC regulations.

The requirement is already in place for AFC tournaments, where every club is required to have a level 1 certified goalkeeping coach to qualify.

After completing Bangladesh’s first ever specialized goalkeeping course for coaches, Dean May said this was not something that someone could simply download from the internet. “What you see on internet may be appropriate for a certain individual or that individual on the net. But it may not be what you need.”

The elite coach said physical presence at these courses on field and in class helped participants learn how to customize their program according to the needs of the goalies. They also learn how to design and administer such course.

Bangladesh Football Federation’s head of goalkeeping Ryan Sandford said this had been quite beneficial for the participants.

He stressed that Bangladesh needs to train more goalkeeping coaches in the latest methods, using modern methodologies, which should raise the overall level of goalkeeping in Bangladesh.

The level 1 certificate course is the first step in the specialization of goalkeeping coaching courses available through the AFC.

Sandford said, “We hope to organize more level 1 courses for coaches before moving on to higher levels.”