Kenya Football .:. Story - Mysa Coach Departs For Knvb Course In Holland

MYSA Sports and Community Leadership Academy instructor and Mathare Youth FC Assistant Coach David Ouma departs tomorrow for a 5-month coaching course at the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) Academy in Zeist, Holland.

David aims to become only the fifth Kenyan coach to earn the internationally recognized UEFA-B coaching license. Those who already hold the UEFA-B coaching license are Mathare United FC Head Coach Francis Kimanzi (2005), National U17 and Mathare Youth FC Head Coach Gabriel Njoroge (2007), Mathare United FC Assistant Coach Salim Ali (2007) and Peter Serry (2006).

"With so many talented youth coaches in MYSA" said David, "it is an honour to be selected for this prestigious course. I am determined to learn as much as I can so I can better serve the Mathare youth and my country in the future".

David¹s coaching career began in 1993 when he started coaching both Outspan FC and Homeboys FC in the MYSA U12 League in Githurai. Although still only 29 years old today, David is already one of the most successful youth coaches in Kenya.

His local and international coaching career highlights so far include:

- In 2002 David was the Head Coach of the MYSA U16 boys team which won the bronze medals at the world's largest international youth tournament, the Norway Cup in Oslo.

- In 2004 David was the coaching instructor/adviser for all three MYSA teams at the Norway Cup. After that tournament David travelled to Holland and successfully completed the high-level international coaching course at the KNVB training centre in Zeist.

- In 2005 David was the Head Coach of the MYSA U20 youth team which won the gold medals at the East Africa Youth Cup in Moshi, Tanzania.

- in 2006 David joined Premier League side Mathare Youth FC as the Assistant Coach.

- In June 2006 David coached the mixed boys and girls team which won the first StreetFootballWorld Cup during the FIFA World Cup in Berlin, Germany. MYSA will defend that world title at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

- In 2007 David served as the Assistant Coach of the Kenyan national U17 youth team which, after only a few days of training, surprisingly won the bronze medals at the CECAFA U17 Youth Championships in Bujumbura, Burundi.

Attached Photo: MYSA Coach David Ouma (in cap) instructs players Elisha Wagude (10), Gabriel Onyango (left) and Havenar Maloba (right) at the final training session prior to the 2006 StreetFootballWorld Cup championship match in July 2006 in Berlin, Germany The MYSA team won the championship match and will defend that world title during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Photo Credit: MYSA Shootback Project, 2006.

Over the last two years David has been a co-instructor for KNVB/MYSA coaching courses in Kisumu as well as abroad in Cape Verde, South Africa and Tanzania.

On his return from Holland David will again resume his duties as the Assistant Coach of Mathare Youth FC and as an instructor in the MYSA Sports and Community Leadership Academy.