St.George’s – The Grenada Football Association (GFA) hosted its second successful launch of the National Grassroots programme on Saturday 23rd September at the Morne Rouge Playing Field. Interest and passion is quickly growing throughout the island, as over 130 boys and girls were registered on the heels of the first launch at Mt.Rich Playing Field, which saw a similar number registering.
Following the registration process, each boy and girl received a GFA-branded uniform and enjoyed a fun filled day of football. GFA President Marlon Glean was present and even joined the fun with the children, showing them some skills and tricks.
Witnessing the joy on the children’s faces, President Glean said, “ I am excited for the future of this programme. I have always said that for us to produce great footballers, they have to go through a process and the process starts with the grassroots where they fall in love with the game. Once they are excited about football, they will come back and we will gradually teach them the game.”
Head Coach of Honved Football Club Joel Calliste was present for the Morne Rouge launch and expressed his happiness with the start of the initiative saying, “The grassroots programme has always been dear to my heart. GFA’s investment in ensuring that children have the opportunity to enjoy and play football across the island is crucial for the development of the sport. I would like to see sponsors coming on board so that this programme can have an even greater effect on our nation’s youth.”
National Grassroots Programme Coordinator Jelani Glean was happy with the turnout at both Morne Rouge and Mt.Rich and spoke of how parents can still get their children involved. He said, “We are going to be opening with 30 centres on the 7th of October, all across the island including Carriacou and Petite Martinique. We will be sharing our centres on the GFA’s social media platforms and on the morning of the 7th, you can show up at one of them to get registered.”
As the programme grows, more centers will be added to accommodate the increasing interest, as the GFA’s goal is to engage 5,000 boys and girls.
The excitement is set to continue, with the next launch scheduled for this Saturday, September 30, at Hillsborough Playing Field in Carriacou.
For more information about the GFA’s National Grassroots Programme and upcoming launch events, please call 440-9903.
