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 Born in 1951, Kalekeni Banda grew up in the farming village of Chituka in the African country of Malawi. Going to school at Malenga Mzoma Primary School and playing sports in his village, a foundation was laid for his future accomplishments in coaching in the United States.
In the 1980’s, Coach Banda helped put the University of Massachusetts women’s soccer team on the map. He coached the UMASS Minutewomen to six consecutive NCAA appearances, including five trips to the final four. In 1987, his team played in the National Championship, losing 1-0 to the University of North Carolina. During this time also coached the women’s UMASS track team. He went on to coach the men’s soccer team, and both the men and women’s track teams for Amherst College in Massachusetts. He then piloted the men’s soccer team for the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, followed by the women’s soccer team for the University at Albany in New York. With decades of coaching experience, dating from the 1970’s, Coach Banda developed his own soccer-training program called Banda “Bola” Soccer (“Dancing with the Ball”) The African Art of Soccer. He uses his unique teaching philosophy extensively while training college athletes, high school athletes, and younger children just learning the sport to find their playing potential and surpass physical expectations. Through special trainings and camps, he has helped innumerable players and teams find success through rhythm, balance, and pinpoint execution. Through Band Bola Sports Foundation-Chituka Village Project, Coach Banda is hoping to bring “Change to the village one child at a time”. |
