• COACHING

The Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) is committed to bringing up the quality of football coaches in Solomon Islands to the international standard.
With a strong development plan in place and the right programs working, SIFF is continuing to train coaches for both men and women in the country. This is achieved locally through the SIFF Development Office and the SIFF Women’s Development Office.
At the international level SIFF is working with the FIFA, the Oceania Football Confederation and the Football Association (United Kingdom) to deliver training for coaches. SIFF is active in requesting experts from FIFA and OFC to assist with the training of coaches in the country.
Under its Memorandum of Understanding with the FA, SIFF has the privilege of 1 FA run course per year run locally in the Solomon Islands. In addition, FA provides the opportunity for elite coaches/players to train in world standard coaching facilities under experts in the United Kingdom.
SIFF is also ensuring that there are coaches trained for kids that are taking up football as their sport of choice. This is being achieved through the FIFA Grassroots Program and the Just Play Program. The Our Telekom National Kids Football, Cultural Exchange and Education Festival provides SIFF with an opportunity annually to train primary school teachers to coach their students.

Programs Conducted in 2011
• Just Play Training Course, Guadalcanal, June
• Grassroots Coaching Course, Honiara, July (Attended by participants from throughout Solomon Islands)
• SIFF Basic Refereeing Course, August (2 courses were held)
• Just Play Training Course, Honiara, August
• OFC C-Licence Course, Honiara, October
• FIFA MA Elite Refereeing Course, Honiara, October
• Just Play Training Course, Marovo, November
• FIFA MA Futsal Refereeing Course, December

Coaching Objectives 2009 – 2012
• Appointment qualified technical experts including Technical & Development Manager & Development Officers (create an effective technical department).
• Educate & qualify coaches at all levels – increase numbers to meet needs at various levels throughout the provinces (OFC programme & approved external partners).
• Select, educate & qualify talented coaching instructors – Futuro III & OFC programmes for “Train the Trainers”.
• Arrange courses & programmes for specialized & needy categories including GK, sports science, talented youth, women, etc.. in collaboration with OFC and approved external partners.
• Provide technical resources & equipments for programmes & courses in collaboration with OFC and approved external partners.
• A talent/elite player technical curriculum is prepared and implemented and regularly updated in collaboration with OFC.
• Arrange talented coach exchange programmes.

• PLAYERS

The players are a priority for the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF). Through a number of programs SIFF is underlining its commitment with action. The coaching programs SIFF facilitates are aimed at improving the quality of players starting from the kids football level right up to elite players playing for the national teams.
SIFF has recently investigated the opportunity for a player development pathway into Australia under its partnership with the Solomon Airlines. An expeditionary trip has already been conducted and while this is still in the brainstorming stages the potential for it becoming concrete is strong.
With the SIFF LEARN&play Project, SIFF is training 360 young men and women in 3 schools in the country under a special program. This program combines academic education with full time football training for the 360 students.
Already LEARN&play is bearing dividends with the program’s U-16 boys team winning the TVL Wantok Cup tournament in Vanuatu in January.
SIFF is giving the same consideration to the Just Play pilot project which is just about complete in Solomon Islands. With the full adoption of Just Play in primary schools throughout Solomon Islands the number of players that will graduate as elite junior footballers will be so much greater.
The SIFF International Transfer Office continuously facilitates the transfer of players to international clubs in the region.

Player Development Objectives 2009 – 2012
• Maintain & improve annual National Primary/Secondary Schools Championships for boys and girls in close collaboration with identified partners.
• Establish & sustain U-12, U-14, & U-16 regulated competitions for boys and girls in provinces with close linkages to schools & Colleges.
• Establish and reinforce partnerships with Government, education authorities & Aid donors to establish football as part of the curriculum in primary/secondary schools and colleges.
• Maintain & sustain LEARN &play Program
• Appoint dedicated & qualified Youth Development Officers for boys and girls
• Encourage and support premier clubs to develop & maintain youth training programs
• Establish regional & national talented player programmes from age U-12
• Prioritize participation in international tournaments – identify, select & prepare teams – improve performance at OFC Level for qualification to FIFA competitions

• REFEREES

The appointment of the Referee Development Officer by the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) signals the seriousness of SIFF to bring refereeing in Solomon Islands to par with regional and international standards.
SIFF is taking serious steps in all codes played in Solomon Islands: Association Football, Beach Soccer, Futsal and Women’s Football.
Strong support from FIFA and OFC has enabled SIFF to deliver training to existing referees and train more new referees.
The FIFA/OFC Referee Instructors Course has resulted in SIFF having its very own referee instructors. These instructors are now working on initiatives to improve and maintain a high quality pool of referees within the country.

Programs in 2009
• OFC Beach Soccer Refereeing Course - March
• SIFF Basic Refereeing Course - October
• FIFA/OFC Elite Refereeing Course - November


• FACILITIES

In 1999 SIFF applied for and received funding for the FIFA Goal I Project to upgrade Lawson Tama Stadium into an international standard playing pitch. This was SIFF’s first major infrastructure development initiative.
After completing Lawson Tama in 2001 which became SIFF’s very own competition venue SIFF looked at setting up an education centre dedicated to the development of coaches, referees and players. This eventuated in the construction and completion of the SIFF Academy in 2005.
At the moment SIFF is embarking on facility development in the provinces to ensure that provincial players have access to quality playing surfaces. The FIFA Goal III Project is funding the development of 2 football fields: 1 in Aligegeo in Malaita Province and the other in Gizo in the Western Province.
Also for the first time in the history of SIFF it is engaging outside partners to contribute to the development of facilities in the provinces. Our Telekom has agreed to fund 2 futsal stadiums, 1 each for Malaita and the Western Province.

Facility Development Targets 2009 – 2012
• Construction Futsal stadiums in Honiara, Gizo and Auki
• Refitting of SIFF Academy into additional competition venue
• Construction of beach soccer stadium with partner company in Honiara
• Construction of beach soccer pitch in Gizo
• Support community facility development initiatives throughout Solomon Islands