by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Aug. 16. 2022
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB), in partnership with UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) conducted training on Monday, August 15, in preparation for the launch of its program, “Football for Schools”, at the primary school level—an initiative which falls under the umbrella of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association).
Prior to introducing the program in this region, FIFA, in 2019, had announced that the “Football for Schools” program would be tested in two other countries, and after a review of the success of the program, 211 other countries would also implement the program, with Belize being the 14th to do so.
The aim of the program is to educate, develop, and empower boys and girls around the country, and it is expected that when the program is rolled out through the introduction of football- based activities into 250 primary schools over the next four years, over 25,000 primary school students will have been beneficiaries, and more than 750 coaches will have participated.
“The ‘Football for Schools’ program is about making football more accessible to boys and girls across the world. By incorporating football activities in our curriculum we can promote specific life skills and competencies in our students which will help them to be better [and] more productive citizens of Belize,” said Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, during his remarks at the FFB event.
“… Through our education system, we want [to] produce students who have developed important skills and values
such as tolerance, humility, patience, collaboration, cooperation, empathy, positivity, and charity. These are all skills and values [that] football promotes and develops in our young people,” Hon. Fonseca added.
Minister of Sports, Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, who was also present at the event, commented, “We have been trying to excel in sports for many years. I believe in the advent of FIFA coming into our country, we have seen a transformation, so I want to give them kudos, especially our local FFB for doing a wonderful and expanded job. They have expanded football to every region in our country [and] to every level in our society. I am committing myself to collaborate with the Ministry of Education, because both of us have to work together to make sure that we reach out to our young people.”