As VTM Football Club continues on an upward trajectory, the club seems intent on leaving none of its biggest stakeholders behind. Just a week after hosting the local sports media, the club was back at it again.
Ahead of the start of the new season, the progressive thinking Kweneng Region Football Association (KRFA) first division club this past Friday hosted a capacity building symposium for its own players, coaching staff as well as support staff.
Club chairman Vincent Mafuta hinted that at the symposium, attendees were taught on a number of critical issues covering ‘life in the Covid-19 era, Laws of the Game as well as psychological or mental aspect of a football player.
Mafuta says coming from the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic, the club found it fitting to not only ready its players for the new season but to also ‘prepare them for life post their footballing careers.’
He said the initiative was borne of the VTM FC management’s realisation at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic that ‘there was a need to empower, capacitate and sensitize club employees on the survival skills as well as planning for life after football.’
Among the facilitators at the symposium were a Psychology and Sports expert from the University of Botswana, Botswana Football Association (BFA) Refereeing Manager Phodiso Jonty Rasebotsa, as well as renowned friend of football and local sports consultant Harry Koata.
Rasetsoga, who advised the technical and playing staff of the importance of knowing and understanding the laws of the game, lectured the players on the latest changes in the laws of the game as sanctioned by FIFA.
Players and the technical team were also afforded an opportunity to interact and field questions to the seasoned referee on any matter related to the interpretation and application of the laws of the game.
For his part, Koata lectured the players on issues surrounding their employment, understanding contracts as well as conditions of service. In his presentation, he advised VTM FC employees on the importance of reading and understanding their conditions of service if they are to understand their responsibilities and deliverables as well as those of the employer.
A volunteer who has been instrumental in helping the KRFA First Division club formulate its policies, Koata also lectured them on the club’s policies, which include human resource, Safety, Health and Environment (SHE), Marketing and Communications, Abuse and Harassment in the workplace as well as Records Management.
Of greater importance, he also advised employees of the club on the importance of reading and understanding their contracts before signing. He advised them not to sign before fully understanding the contracts, advising them to, where possible, seek legal advisors before signing contract.
