FNB STADIUM, Johannesburg (16 December 2010) – soccer4children, in partnership with turn the tide 4 children, officially launched at FNB Stadium (previously known as Soccer City) during a media briefing with Dr. Danny Jordaan (2010 FIFA Local Organising Committee CEO and SAFA Vice President).
Dr. Jordaan recognized that the gap between development and professional football has widened in South Africa, and stated that, “..while the 2010 FIFA World Cup focused on the elite levels of football, we need to…realize what is happening, and what is not happening at grassroots level.” In reference to the children assembled at the FNB Stadium auditorium during the briefing, he further remarked that, “You filling the hall today is a recognition of what is not happening.”
It is based on this observation from the echelons of our professional footballing structures that soccer4children, a non-profit organization partnering with turn the tide 4 children, introduced the soccer4children pilot soccer camp which was running from 10th December 2010 to 20th December 2010, at the facility in Eikenhof where soccer4children aims to provide a holistic transformational experience to children from previously disadvantaged backgrounds through soccer clinics.
According to Martin Deacon, CEO of turn the tide 4 children, “our vision is to see how soccer camps can transform the lives of thousands of young boys whilst we also develop talent and give the opportunity for dreams to be realised”.
Elvis Mvulane, spokesperson for soccer4children, said “we are seeing the importance of connecting lifeskills training, abstinence messaging and values-based education as a critical component of our soccer camps”.
This initiative, with funding provided largely by private individuals aims to introduce soccer clinics which will be utilized to identify and harness soccer talent in the children who attend, and nurturing this talent in order to promote the development of soccer in this country at grassroots level.
Based on the success of the soccer4children pilot project which took off on the 10th December 2010, soccer4children aims to introduce the children to an environment in which their talents can be harnessed with the aim of grooming them for a professional footballing career.
soccer4children has recognized the need for grassroots development in the soccer arena in this country and trust that we will be impacting children’s lives in a major way by imparting-not only soccer skills and training- a range of skills and values which the children can use on and off the field.
It is in the strategic partnering of soccer4children with the official soccer structures in this country that soccer4children believes the aim of at least 10 soccer clinics (700 children) per year for children, as well as coaching clinics, will aid the organisation in identifying and nurturing the soccer talent which abounds in South Africa. soccer4children aims to reinvite individuals who excel, and setting the groundwork for said individuals to be afforded the opportunity to receive top class training and education through a holistic approach which will serve to instill the correct values in our children.
Antonio Da Costa, co-founder of soccer4children, expressed his appreciation towards the South African Football Association for their support and endorsement of the project and thanked Dr. Danny Jordaan, father of soccer on the African continent, for his support and continued development of soccer at grassroots levels.
Dr. Jordaan concluded by thanking Martin Deacon for the soccer4children initiative and expressing his support for the work done at this level.
In the wake of the recent World Cup held in South Africa, soccer4children recognizes the urgency with which the necessary infrastructure has to be put in place in order that our children’s lives be impacted in a positive way, so that we can, once again do South Africa proud with the wealth of soccer talent our nation boasts.
To find out more, please visit our website, www.soccer4children.org, or click here
