Popular Forster football coach Jeff Summers has brought his training skills back to the soccer field after the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to take his lessons online for a number of months.
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While Jeff viewed the COVID experience as a valuable opportunity to diversify his coaching skills, he was more than happy to be back passing on his knowledge in person, after conducting his first group training sessions throughout the July school holidays.
The return to the field also proved popular with his students, attracting a significant increase in participants on previous school holiday programs.
"I think everyone was raring to go," Jeff said.
"To see the kids out there smiling, it was absolutely fantastic."
Related: Jeff Summers named coach of the year
The break from face-to-face training also gave Jeff plenty of time to work on a number of new coaching techniques, and he was excited about bringing these to his upcoming weekly academy and preschool programs.
Among these is a new goalkeeper training program, where Jeff has enlisted the skills of talented local goalkeeper, Rhys Dawes.
Like his school holiday program, numbers have swelled for his academy classes, with Jeff having to put on an extra coach for his Wednesday session, while his Friday session is fully booked.
"I put that down to the COVID period and kids desperate to get back into their football," he said.
The decision to keep his academy classes going online, with no fees, throughout the entirety of the COVID shutdown also proved popular with many of his students' parents, who had been more than supportive.
"I think they really appreciated the effort I put in," Jeff said.
"The fees were one thing but it was more that I stayed a constant in their kids' lives."
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Aside from passing on his knowledge of the game to the region's budding young soccer players, Jeff is also now working with a number of clubs in the area to help develop the skills of their coaches.
He sees this as a valuable initiative, given a lot of people take on the role of coach purely because of their kids' involvement in the game.
"A lot of the parents that step up to coach have no experience," Jeff said.
"I'm trying to make it as easy as possible for them."
Jeff's involvement with the Samuel Brett Nelson Kickstart Foundation also continues, with Jeff keen to remind the community that two scholarships per term are still available for disadvantaged kids to take part in his academy.
For more information on the scholarships, click here.
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