Football is often touted as a ‘global game’, which can be interpreted whatever way you like. It’s really just a generic promotion of the sport by marketing types. But beyond the desire to appeal to masses of people, I think is the ability to simply connect. That connection might be with just a single person, but ultimately there’s a bringing together of varied experiences. That’s where the game is at its best.
On this front, FIFA’s last report talks about 11 ways to make football global. It’s not the ‘globalised’ approach to anything that really matters here, but making resources and facilities available to football loving communities. Not all 11 will resonate with football fans, sure, but a couple stood out to me:
Firstly, “maximising FIFA’s impact on global football development” sounds promising. It means improving the football development “landscape” to have a more positive impact. The second one that worth consideration is the acceleration of women’s football, which includes playing but also participation in football governance. The third goal of note is impacting society through football. This can mean many things but the idea seems tied to that theme of bringing people together, promoting team spirit and inspiring across generations.
Indeed it’s this third point I find most compelling, especially as it relates to how soccer clubs better connect with kids, including those in greater need. For example, Fulham FC is one of 69 professional clubs involved in Premier League Kicks program, which helps youngsters in tougher situations. Fulham hosts 25 weekly football sessions for young people aged 11 to 18 across South West London and the goal is to get the kids off the streets and doing something together. Proper coaches school them in football but also listen to them and get to know them, as per the Premier League’s website. The overall goal, it seems, is to get these kids respecting themselves more so that they can respect others.
Youth and Community Officer at Fulham FC, Hussein Mohammed is quoted on the club’s site saying as much: “One of the main things is knowing that football isn’t just about football. Before, my whole life was just literally make it pro from football, that’s it.
“Now I’ve realised you can do so much through football, it brings a lot of people together, especially young people, and through that you can help them so much more. They don’t have to be the greatest footballer to come to sessions, they’re just someone who enjoys football and there are ways that you can help them throughout their lives. It’s opened my eyes up more to what’s going on in the world and how much I can do for people.”
Well played, Hussein.
So how does Kicks stack up by the numbers?
Well as of 2020 there were more than 1,811 participants, 307 of which came from refugee backgrounds.
Most of the participants are white, though there are also other ethnicities including mixed-race, black and Asian players.
What really stood to me are the takeaways from the participants themselves:
64% think Kicks has helped them stay away from anti-social behaviour.
90% feel their communication skills have improved as a result of attending.
And, 88% feel they have a greater degree of respect and understanding for different people.
There’s not much more to be said about such an initiative, other than that the simplest of ideas, like kicking a ball around the park, can benefit us perhaps more than we realise.
The Soccer Pitch Is Green 