The end of a long soccer season means a lot to footballers, referees and administrators in times of resting and refreshment. Eight or so months of thinking nothing but football is long a time no doubt. A lot is settled in that period before the next season especially at club level. Things like acquisitions on new players to replace the departed ones due to retiring, running out of contract and or deliberate sale by the club happens with in this time.
Pre-season is most especially important in fine tuning the players for the season ahead and iron mistakes that might have cost the club the previous season. Unfortunately, as our fellows in Europe dedicate their time to this, in Uganda we are doing just one, buy players
and then wait when the fixtures are out and call the boys for training. In Europe still, the pre-season program is communicated to the players at the close of the previous season. In Uganda, all our administratorstell the players is that we shall call you when we feel it’s time for preparation ahead of the next season. Can u imagine? Some teams resume training a week or two to their league opener and they expect these boys to come from where they have been and deliver. It’s one other reason most of these players look unfit immediately at the season and only regain full fitness as the season progresses. Titles are not won in the opening months of the season but they can be lost.
Pre-season should be used as the first way to shape players as they regain fitness after weeks of lay off. Furthermore, the period helps in team building and bonding especially for new signings. It’s time to acclimatise the new acquisitions to the environment at the club, learn more about the club and make them feel at home before the real games begin.
In addition, pre-season is time to reach out to the fans out there who support the club. Bring the club closer to the fans by organising friendly games in their areas. These fans need to come closer to their beloved footballers and may be catch the glimpse of new acquisitions. For clubs like Villa, Express FC and KCC FC that are majorly fans’ clubs, pre-season is time to rejuvenate those fans’ branches and perhaps create new ones. For others like Bunamwaya SC, Proline FC and the like, it’s time to create brand awareness and attract fans to your teams.
Still, you can also reach to the fans by get involved in community work say cleaning a particular town as a club in an organised manner, visit patients in the hospitals and offer some help as a club.
Such things not only attract fans to the club but also mentally prepare the players ahead of the new season.
In Europe, clubs go for pre-season tours and play matches there and also give fans chance to interact with their stars. That is asking too much for Ugandan clubs at the moment but let’s start with touring up country from where most of our stars hail and let the fans there feel associated with their teams .
Let’s start now……
