Jelina Mabon is the Shefa Women’s U17 goalkeeper coach based at Epi High School and she was the only female keeper coach in the VFF National Youth League Championship.
She attended a three days MA course on goalkeeper coaching at the Teouma Academy from 19-21 November conducted by OFC Goalkeeper Development Consultant James Bannatyne.
The course ran in parallel with the Southern Region Youth League Championship last month and Jelina was attending the course and also helping her team to qualify for the Youth League Championship finals.
VFF Media interviewed Jelina after she qualified her team in the Southern Region conference and coincidentally her goalkeeper Noeline John snatched the Best Keeper award.
Last week in the finals at Luganville, Noeline again was awarded the overall Best Women Keeper in the 2019 Youth League Championship.
Where are you from originally?
I am part Ambae/Pentecost.
How are you attached to Shefa team?
I am a teacher at Epi High School and I teach Biology, Chemistry and Maths for juniors.
Why did you choose to become a soccer coach?
My interest in soccer dates back to 2006 I was playing for St. Patrick College as a forward and then later was selected in the school team for the PESSA Games.
Why are you interested in goalkeeping?
I am interested in goalkeepers coach because most of the coaches are focusing on the ten running players but not on the goalkeepers and it is good for two coaches to manage a team so one can focus on the players and one on the goalkeepers.
What have you learn from the goalkeeper coaching course?
The course helps me learn about qualities of a goalkeeper and how to scout a keeper from the crowd and the role of a goalkeeper coach and also the role in the field of play. I also learn the actions of a goalkeeper and how to catch a ball and also how goalkeepers should position them during matches.
I also learn how to create session plans for goalkeeper training and how to conduct the training according to the plan.
Your first game and how did it go?
I had a brief session with our goalkeeper in our last important and deciding game against Port Vila and the instructions I gave to her were delivered and in the end we ended in a 3-3 draw and qualified to play the finals in Luganville, Santo.
I am happy about my goalkeeper’s performance.
Your future plan?
I look forward to go back to my school and run some women goalkeeper training sessions.
What comes to mind as the only female coach attending the course
I don’t mind as the only woman attending the training course. I am happy that I took the role and as the only female to be part of the goalkeeper coaching course and I feel its important for a woman to take a man’s role.
I also want VFF to bring more women into more course on coaching because today we have women’s football competitions and having a male coach, girls are not open to discuss issues that are women related.
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