The Ghana Football Association (GFA), operating in partnership with the University of Ghana’s Department of Physical Education and Sport Studies, is advancing grassroots football development through its active License D Coaching Course.

The instructional program aims to provide prospective coaches with the foundational technical knowledge necessary to improve youth player development.

As a core component of the curriculum, a specialised child safeguarding seminar was conducted for the participants, emphasizing the strict responsibility of securing the safety and welfare of children within the sport.

The training session detailed the different categories of abuse that young athletes can encounter in football environments. It offered practical frameworks to help coaches identify, avert, and properly manage these vulnerabilities, with the goal of fostering a secure and encouraging atmosphere for youth players.

Addressing Physical and Structural Risks

The safeguarding lecture also identified specific operational scenarios that heighten the vulnerability of youth players. Instructors explicitly warned against:

- Pushing child athletes beyond their reasonable physical capacities.

- Permitting youth players to train or compete while carrying injuries.

The coursework highlighted the legal and moral duty of care incumbent upon all coaches, instructing them to consistently prioritise the immediate health, safety, and long-term athletic development of their players.

The collaborative program reinforced child safeguarding protocols as a foundational necessity for the sustainable expansion of the Ghanaian football ecosystem.