Grassroots Programme

Why grassroots

The game can only last if it starts with the children

We are not aiming for quick results. We invest our time and funding in developing future players, a steady board and, in time, licensed clubs. A complete football structure will emerge on Naoero, but it has to start at the grassroots level.

We added the word education deliberately. Our first point of reference for finding future players is the school, and the same young people are involved in our impact ambitions: health, climate resilience and community. For most people on Naoero football is still a relatively unknown sport, so education also means growing football as an interesting activity, through promotion and personal contact.

What the programme looks like

Community-based sessions teach the basic skills of the game in an enjoyable way, open to anyone who wants to take part, regardless of age or gender. There is no pressure; it is all about learning and enjoying the game. From these sessions we begin to see the level of ability and the stand-out talents, and from there a pathway to clubs, tournaments and national teams grows.

The first steps: a grassroots football curriculum, a programme with one or more schools or community centres in which at least 20 young people play committedly, a training camp on the island, and a football for every child through One Child One Ball. Within 18 months we want the curriculum in every educational centre on the island and 100 youth and adults playing regularly.

Local coaches, teachers and volunteers are trained alongside the players, so that the programme belongs to Naoero and keeps running when our international members are not on the island.