Grassroots Workshop and Festival gets going
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association will stage a grassroots workshop in conjunction with CONCACAF and UEFA at the Ato Boldon Stadium this Thursday and Friday to precede the start of its 2017 Grassroots Festival this coming weekend. The first Grassroots event will take place at Green Park, Felicity, Chaguanas from 9am on Saturday.
With the help of the TTFA’s Technical Department spearheaded by Technical Director Muhammad Isa, and assistance from CONCACAF and UEFA instructors, the Grassroots Football Festival Programme, aims to reach out to the players eleven (11) years old and under in the rural areas. This initiative is promoted by FIFA as one of the criteria for a country’s development.
Between May 13th to August 19th, the TTFA will stage festivals at different venues in the various Regional Associations (i. Eastern Football Association, ii. Northern Football Association, iii. Central Football Association, iv. Tobago Football Association v. Eastern Counties Football Union, and vi. Southern Football Association. )
The bigger the base, the stronger the structure. Grassroots are the base and foundation of any footballing nation. It is from here future players are born. The greatest footballers in the world all started at a young age. This initiative with help fuel such players by providing an opportunity for them to be seen by the TTFA and community while increasing the players’ and communities’ interest in football.
The Goals and Objectives of the Grassroots Festival include but are not limited to the following:
•Stimulate the participation of players under 11 year olds in rural communities.
•Capture baseline data on current level of participation (boys/girls) (as a percentage of under eleven (11) year olds in the community);
• Target a percentage of new players (boys/girls) – players not currently routinely participating in structured football activity;
• Capture baseline data on the structured football activities routinely available in the community – school/academies/etc.
• Create a profile of each participant – name/age/contact details (parents)/preferred position etc.
• Capture data on the facilities in the community-fields/lighting/maintenance arrangements.
• Create positive awareness of the TTFA and its plans to develop football.
• Create Community Growth:
• Promote national players (male and female) past and present from the community (if any)
• Create a better future community through football by improving the principles and values for becoming a better person holistically.
• Educate the community about football scholarships thus helping reinforce the neglected need for education in some communities and More.
•Developing Grassroots coaches in the communities through the TTFA coaching workshops.
“What is Grassroots Football?”
The Grassroots Programme is the core foundation of our development mission, aimed at encouraging girls and boys around the Trinidad & Tobago to play football without restrictions. Grassroots focuses on the deployment of football through small-sided games, teaching basic football technique, emphasizing the value of exercise, and stressing the importance of fair play.