To us, soccer is about more than playing a game. It's about empowering youth and creating opportunity. It's about building a network of people who are dedicated to improving the lives of youth in their own community We organize youth sports leagues to enhance social infrastructure: to promote education and equality through mentoring and community service. With this project, we are taking our initial youth enrichment football league, sponsored by Rotary International, to another level.
Youth often lack positive role models and mentors who can help them overcome the challenges they face resulting from limited-to-no access to standard health, education, and technology infrastructure. Children continue to drop out of secondary school before graduating and there are very few extracurricular and/or recreational activities for youth to engage in which leaves much idle time. While youth of all ages love the game of soccer and play often, there is virtually no organized sport.
Soccer improves social infrastructure. Everyone comes together around the global game. Building a soccer league in a community creates a positive space for youth and strengthens the community around the field. Coaches double as mentors who run soccer practices and compete in games within a season dedicated to one life skill building block or health education topic.
This project will jump-start the long term vision of creating leagues across the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon to engage thousands of boys and girls in safe, competitive youth soccer leagues owned and operated by leaders in their community. We are starting with coaches training and small competitions. Once local ownership within communities advance, we support full seasons of league-play and provide other incentives for teams whose players excel in school and service to community
