School teachers and volunteers from the island were led through a two-day training course by Football Federation Samoa (FFS) Just Play instructors Tunoa Lui and Atufili Talaia, who explained to the participants the key elements of Just Play and took them through how the programme can be taught.
Project manager Talaia was pleased with the response of those taking part.
“The course went very well,” he says.
“The participants showed great enthusiasm for the programme and we have also received great support from all the school principals, teachers and ministers from village communities.”
As a result of the training course, those who participated will be able to teach the Just Play programme during its six-week pilot phase in Savaii. A total of 24 schools and 13 communities will be involved in this period, during which representatives from FFS will continue to visit the schools to assist with running the programme and check on its progress.
“We are very fortunate to be working closely with the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture in delivering this programme to the schools and communities,” Talaia says. “This programme would also not be possible without the support of the Australian Government, UEFA and OFC.”
Just Play is a unique FIFA-approved grassroots programme which promotes physical activity for primary-aged children while encouraging community involvement and healthy living.
Developed by the OFC social responsibility and technical departments, Just Play was launched in Vanuatu last April and has since been introduced in Tonga, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and South Auckland in New Zealand. It was introduced to Samoa in June last year with a pilot phase in Apia involving 19 schools and nearly 8000 children.
Fiji is next on the agenda while OFC is also currently working in New Zealand with Special Olympics (NZ) on a Just Play programme for people with mental disabilities.
OFC is working closely with UEFA, the Government of Australia – through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) – and Football Federation Australia (FFA) to roll out the programme across the Pacific. The Australian Government has shown its support to the project by contributing AU$4million.
In South Auckland, Just Play is supported by OFC’s partnership with the Sir John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation, Counties Manukau Sport and Auckland Football Federation.
For more on Samoan football go to www.footballsamoa.ws