Football Federation American Samoa (FFAS) is providing the use of its facilities to the Pago Pago Samoa Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints and that generosity is being made the most of on a weekly basis by more than 150 primary-aged children, who are involved in a series of five-on-five games at Pago Park.
“The leaders of our stake, as well as the parents, are extremely happy after seeing how the programme has gone,” says the stake’s second councillor Maselino Tautu.
“The most important thing is that they have all had fun, from the children to the coaches and parents. We are very impressed with the great facilities that accommodate everything and you can see in the childrens’ faces how much fun they are having.”
Tautu is no stranger to football and was a member of the normalisation committee set up by FIFA in the country from 2006 to 2008, during which the FFAS was founded after the dissolving of the American Samoa Football Association.
Prior to that, he was with the ministry of education’s athletics department, a role in which he organised sports for primary and high schools, including football.
So he was therefore a familiar figure to FFAS when he approached CEO Tavita Taumua to request the use of the federation’s fields and referees to help with the stake’s football programme.
“We are always available to help out with any organisation’s plans to run a football competition, whether it be a private or church group,” Taumua says. “We have helped with churches on a yearly basis and are happy to do so again.”
FFAS President Iuli Alex Godinet is pleased to provide the facilities to make the tournament, which is taking place during the territory’s warmer ‘summer’ months, possible.
“The summer is a time to organise activities for the youth because school is out,” President Godinet says. “We have our own Summer Youth League coming up but it is great to help another organisation with their summer programme.”
For more on American Samoa football go to www.ffas.as

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