GFF Grass Roots Festival heads to Essequibo & EBD

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Grass Roots Football Festival continues today at the Grove Community Centre Ground, East Bank Demerara and the Queenstown Community Centre Ground, Essequibo Coast respectively from 10:00h to 14:00h.

This follows a successful start of the Festival at the Buxton Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara on last Saturday.

The GFF’s Technical Director, Ian Greenwood, in welcoming approximately forty-six participants at the Buxton Community Centre Ground provided an overview of the programme and the day’s activities. “Today, with all the coaching staff, we will be looking at you doing lots of skills – dribbling techniques, passing techniques, one versus one, two versus two, three versus three games. The main idea is to evolve a new set of footballers. From next year, there will be a lot more youth football being played. They will be Grass Roots sessions running in your association every week. We will have football leagues for U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19 players. In every Association, we’ll have an academy as well so that academy will start the base of our national youth team programme. We’ll have the best players there (in the academy), then they will go into the national youth teams. In five to ten years, I will see as many of you playing for the Golden Jaguars as possible.”

Bernice Chester, a grandmother of two of the participants, said she was very happy that the children can be at the event and be gainfully occupied in sports. “I think it will impact greatly on their lives when they leave here today.”

Another caregiver, Dellon Adams, said: “I brought five children – two girls and three boys –

(who) live in my street. I just thought it was an excellent opportunity to get them exposed.

They’ve never been on a field and actually kick a ball. It’s not in the school curriculum and even

at the club level, not so very young; they (clubs) will look at the Under-15’s and the Under-17’s.

I’m particularly happy for this opportunity to expose them.”

When asked about what her expectations of the programme, Adams said, “…a renewed love for

the game.

Having been given a chance to kick a ball, to listen to instructions, to do the fun things

that they are doing here, I hope that revives their love for the game.”

The festivals cater for children five to twelve (12 years); parents and caregivers are encouraged

to accompany their children to the festivals. Admission to all events is free.