Yianny’s latest blog was inspired by TackleAfrica’s Limited Resources Guide which shows how to conduct football sessions with little equipment while maintaining the content.
The guide, a new addition to our curriculum will be part of our training pack and also be available on the website in the near future so look out for it, but it got me thinking about my childhood playing football and how much things have changed.
The particular anecdote that came to mind was from my Primary school days when we used to gather at break and lunch times to play football on the concrete playground. The teachers had banned the use of footballs because we had broken every window within shooting range although I’m not sure what that says about our shooting or the power of an 8 year old’s shot. Footballers are a bright bunch and someone came up with the idea of using rolled up socks from lost property and so began sock football with the full backing of the school’s teacher body.
I can still remember the odd incident from those matches such as having one ball confiscated after hitting one of the girls on the head and making her cry. The ball had been launched into the air and unfortunately came to earth in the exact spot the girl’s head happened to be. Normally you would just say these things happen but that particular ‘sock ball’ had been made using a hard plastic ball wrapped in socks and we were busted. I also remember that when it rained this changed the game into an attritional punting contest and being hit by one would leave a giant muddy mark on the cleanest of uniforms.
The point this illustrates however is that you can be in Africa or Europe or anywhere in the world and make the best of what you have. Using a few old socks as a ball allowed us to play the game we loved even if it was as unpredictable as chasing a flat rugby ball.
Football training has come a long way since the late 80’s and some would say that the emphasis on highly structured sessions has removed the imagination and creativity engendered by learning the game on a street or in a dusty uneven field. People wouldn’t dream of sending their kids to play for a local side who train on a field co-inhabited by livestock, with sticks and litter used as markings.
I sit comfortably on the fence with this one, if you’ve got it use it but if you don’t, make do. Every child benefits from the time they spend with a ball (any ball) at their feet as well as good coaching, and if you have to beat a jagged rock before taking on a defender there may just be an something in that too.
I’ll wrap up now but make sure you check out the film Africa United which is in cinemas now; it has a wonderful example of making a football from unconventional materials. You can see the trailer by clicking the link on our home page.
Next week I’ll be looking forward to our Kenya project which kicks off in November.
One Game Saves Lives
Yianny 28/10/10
Keep an eye on our homepage for more blogs and opinion pieces from our staff, trustees, partners and beneficiaries. Get involved by writing for us, or by adding your comments below
