A graduate of professional coaching and fitness training from the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Charles Njoku has declared that no coach worth his salt should be seen wearing slippers on the field of play.
Njoku stated this while fielding questions from Sports247 on his graduation day at the sports institution inside the premises of Lagos National Stadium, during which he added that a strict dress code and ability to command respect are two aspects of coaching that have often been overlooked in Nigeria.
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He added that he decided to pursue two courses simultaneously at the NIS because he felt the need for him to learn more about various aspects of football coaching.
Njoku stated, “I came to NIS in January last year and, thank God, I’m now graduating from the professional class as a coach in football. As a coach, you also need knowledge in fitness and, based on my experience, it was a good combination for me.
“I learnt a lot of things, and now that I’m a qualified coach, I’ll put them into practise. I’m going into the labour market to go and express myself … to show what I have learnt here. I believe the sky will be the limit for me.”
Njoku also spoke about the experience he gained as governor of his set in the professional coaching course, pointing out that it was a huge responsibility that taught him many useful lessons.
The soft-spoken tactician disclosed further, “Being the governor of my set gave me a lot of responsibilities. We had a lot of encounters with my colleagues and the staff as a whole.
“As a human being, it depends on the way you manage things. By the special grace of God, I was able to manage the post very well.
It wasn’t an easy one but, at long last, I think I was successful. With the cooperation of my colleagues, everything went well.”
He continued with some words about the general aspects of coaching and what is expected of anyone who has taken up the professional gauntlet of a gaffer as a means of livelihood.
“With what I learnt, when you are a professional coach, you have a lot to impact on those at the grassroots. For example, a coach needs to dress well. In the field of play, you need to show you are in charge. The style of coming into the field with slippers is not advisable.
“You must dress completely as a coach. When anyone sees you, they will know this is a qualified coach. The only way you can fish out good talents is to know your value as a coach,” Njoku reasoned.
He then rounded off with a swipe at the alleged syndrome of bribe taking among Nigerian coaches, then reeled out accolades for the NIS management and director-general for a job well done in reviving Nigeria’s leading school for sports.
“They say some coaches in Nigeria take bribe, but what I always advise is for you to pick people who will always deliver and give you good results. In return, money will come to you. Those players will even bring money, and you won’t need to ask for cash from anybody or whatever gift they want to give you.
“In that regard, I will say kudos to the management of NIS, especially to the DG. He has tried; he has really tried. For him to put up all he has done, especially during my set, is commendable.
In the year 2024, he did a very good job, and I pray that God will strengthen him. I also pray that those in charge will allow him to stay for the next four years, so that he will do greater things than what he has already done,” Njoku supplicated.
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