Former Solomon Islands professional footballer Henry Fa’arodo Jnr made a significant return to the national football scene, stepping into the role of a new SIFF National Academy Head Coach.
With an illustrious career as the most capped former international player, Fa’arodo now brings his wealth of experience to nurturing the next generation of football talents.
His transition from player to coach has been marked by a keen interest in youth development, making his new position a natural progression.
He holds an OFC/NZF C License and currently doing his OFC/NZF B License and has a Certificate ¾ Fitness from the Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF).
“I want to express my gratitude to the federation for accepting my application and offering me this position,” Fa’arodo told SIFF Media.
“For me, it’s a great privilege to be back home. The academy is the first of its kind in the country, and I feel this is the perfect time for me to give back to football.”
Fa’arodo’s vision for the academy is clear and ambitious. He sees it as an essential platform for developing young talent, drawing from his recent experience working with youth players.
“Especially to deal with youth football, which I have been focusing on for the past two years, I’ve been very involved, so I think there’s no better place to start than here.”
He acknowledges the opportunity this role presents: not only for him as a coach but also for the young players under his guidance.
“It’s a great opportunity to give back to the next generation of players, building their pathway in football,” he said.
As the new Academy Head Coach, Fa’arodo emphasizes the importance of thorough planning, particularly on the administrative side.
He also aims to involve local coaches in the academy project, offering them a pathway to develop alongside the young players.
“My responsibility is to implement a training cycle for each year for different age groups that we will be working with for both boys and girls and I’m looking forward to it.”
Fa’arodo worked as a SIFF Football Development Officer from 2016-2018 before leaving for New Zealand where he took up a role as Hamilton Wanderers Youth Development Coach before joining Franklin United FC as Youth Coach and Women’s Division 1 Head Coach for U10s, and then an overall Football Coordinator for the club.
The now 42-year-old is the first Pacific Islander to play professionally in the A-League with Perth Glory in 2005.
With his passion for youth football and commitment to the sport, Fa’arodo’s return to the Solomon Islands marks an exciting new chapter for the SIFF National Academy in the making.
-SIFF Media
