Quiet Kids Football Scene
Bleacher Talk
November 18, 2007
Quiet Kids Football Scene
If you’re a follower of local youth football, then you’re probably on a high right now as your read the news about the performance of Cebu’s under-15 team at the Philippine Olympic Festival. As of yesterday, they swept their group, 4-0, and are already in the semifinals which took place yesterday. A win there would mean a trip to today’s finals. That’s the good news and if there’s good, bad news won’t be far behind, right?
I don’t want to describe it exactly as bad news, but let’s just call it a “concern.” I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the youth football scene has suddenly become quiet after the San Roque Festival and the Mint Sports Shop Festival held in August. Three months later and approaching Christmas, I haven’t heard of another football festival coming up, at least not officially that is.
The down part about this impasse is that the very foundation which has become the source of talents for our older Under-15 and Under-17 teams has been temporarily shut down. Although I’m hopeful that this won’t be a permanent thing, I’m also aware that without a program for the kids, Cebu’s future becomes a big question mark.
So what do we do? Do we just sit down, complain and not do anything? Of course not. Let’s move, get off our butts and act before it’s too late.
In our own little way, this corner couldn’t stand the deafening silence and arranged for friendly games between the youth football clubs of Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) and Bright Academy. With the help of John Pages and Neil Montesclaros, we pooled the two clubs’ Under-8 and Under-6 teams to clash in a simple dual meet format at the Thirsty Compound in Banilad.
After three months of silence, we had a football field once again filled with the cheers, yells and laughter of kids, with their parents and yayas as chief cheerleaders. For football followers, you know how sweet this noise is, and it’s something you won’t mind hearing again. In fact, you want to hear it all the time, right?
This brings me to make a call on all the football clubs and schools who have kids six to ten years old practicing at once a week. It’s high time that we give these kids something to look forward to out of their practice. Let’s give them the chance to enjoy the game fullest instead of just playing with their schoolmates and close friends. My personal wish is that the likes of SHSJ, Don Bosco, Bright, Springdale, San Roque, CIS, Pomeroy (City Central School) and Canduman Elementary School get together to form a league that will guaranty a series of football games for their teams all year-round. If there are other clubs willing to join in, they’re most welcome to do so. We’ve always had to rely on San Roque and Mint Sports Shop to bankroll our games, but after these, we’re running on empty.
The football series that I was dreaming about is really simple. We can get the clubs to get together on a fixed schedule such as a monthly festival. We can set a specific day like every first Saturday of the month so that all clubs will have something to prepare for as they practice. Venue shouldn’t be a problem since this series of football festivals will be for Under 10, 8 and 6 kids. The Under 12 and older teams are already busy preparing for their respective full-court 11-a-side games and won’t need to join this football festival series.
All the other technical details can be worked out among the football coaches themselves. While logistics and financing may be a concern, I’m sure there are firms out there that are willing to sponsor such an activity provided that it gets something in return. The total package, goals and details of the program will just have to be presented in a proper forum.
Have I made any sense in all these? Is it that complicated for schools to come together to form a football league? Are they going to be passive sitting ducks and just rely on other people to organize tournaments for them? Well, we’ll soon find out. If the football clubs are truly concerned about the quiet football scene for kids, I’m sure they’ll break out and do something.
Let’s put an end to all this silence.
***
Time-out: Happy birthday to Rayner Tavera! Wishing you all the best! >>> You can reach me at bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
November 18, 2007
Quiet Kids Football Scene
If you’re a follower of local youth football, then you’re probably on a high right now as your read the news about the performance of Cebu’s under-15 team at the Philippine Olympic Festival. As of yesterday, they swept their group, 4-0, and are already in the semifinals which took place yesterday. A win there would mean a trip to today’s finals. That’s the good news and if there’s good, bad news won’t be far behind, right?
I don’t want to describe it exactly as bad news, but let’s just call it a “concern.” I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the youth football scene has suddenly become quiet after the San Roque Festival and the Mint Sports Shop Festival held in August. Three months later and approaching Christmas, I haven’t heard of another football festival coming up, at least not officially that is.
The down part about this impasse is that the very foundation which has become the source of talents for our older Under-15 and Under-17 teams has been temporarily shut down. Although I’m hopeful that this won’t be a permanent thing, I’m also aware that without a program for the kids, Cebu’s future becomes a big question mark.
So what do we do? Do we just sit down, complain and not do anything? Of course not. Let’s move, get off our butts and act before it’s too late.
In our own little way, this corner couldn’t stand the deafening silence and arranged for friendly games between the youth football clubs of Sacred Heart School Jesuit (SHSJ) and Bright Academy. With the help of John Pages and Neil Montesclaros, we pooled the two clubs’ Under-8 and Under-6 teams to clash in a simple dual meet format at the Thirsty Compound in Banilad.
After three months of silence, we had a football field once again filled with the cheers, yells and laughter of kids, with their parents and yayas as chief cheerleaders. For football followers, you know how sweet this noise is, and it’s something you won’t mind hearing again. In fact, you want to hear it all the time, right?
This brings me to make a call on all the football clubs and schools who have kids six to ten years old practicing at once a week. It’s high time that we give these kids something to look forward to out of their practice. Let’s give them the chance to enjoy the game fullest instead of just playing with their schoolmates and close friends. My personal wish is that the likes of SHSJ, Don Bosco, Bright, Springdale, San Roque, CIS, Pomeroy (City Central School) and Canduman Elementary School get together to form a league that will guaranty a series of football games for their teams all year-round. If there are other clubs willing to join in, they’re most welcome to do so. We’ve always had to rely on San Roque and Mint Sports Shop to bankroll our games, but after these, we’re running on empty.
The football series that I was dreaming about is really simple. We can get the clubs to get together on a fixed schedule such as a monthly festival. We can set a specific day like every first Saturday of the month so that all clubs will have something to prepare for as they practice. Venue shouldn’t be a problem since this series of football festivals will be for Under 10, 8 and 6 kids. The Under 12 and older teams are already busy preparing for their respective full-court 11-a-side games and won’t need to join this football festival series.
All the other technical details can be worked out among the football coaches themselves. While logistics and financing may be a concern, I’m sure there are firms out there that are willing to sponsor such an activity provided that it gets something in return. The total package, goals and details of the program will just have to be presented in a proper forum.
Have I made any sense in all these? Is it that complicated for schools to come together to form a football league? Are they going to be passive sitting ducks and just rely on other people to organize tournaments for them? Well, we’ll soon find out. If the football clubs are truly concerned about the quiet football scene for kids, I’m sure they’ll break out and do something.
Let’s put an end to all this silence.
***
Time-out: Happy birthday to Rayner Tavera! Wishing you all the best! >>> You can reach me at bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
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