Football Federation of Belize, Corozal Football Association conduct workshop on Football for Schools program for Corozal primary school teachers

Football for Schools training session for primary school teachers in Corozal on Thursday, November 2 – Photo Credit: OWFA

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: One day after holding a teaching session to promote its Football for Schools (F4S) program in Orange Walk, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) joined forces with the Corozal Football Association (CFA) to conduct a similar session for Corozal teachers.

The four-year F4S program the FFB is conducting in conjunction with FIFA, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Government of Belize seeks to teach football to 25,000 children in Belize’s schools through a four-year period. Three years are left to complete that goal.

“During the session, teachers were introduced to an application which has several interactive session plans teaching kids not only football skills but basic life skills as well,” the CFA said in a statement on social media.

“The FIFA Football for School was introduced last year to a number of schools, this time around we added on a few more to the program.

“The aim is to start development with our kids at an early age so that we can grow quality players. To conclude, each school received some balls for them to use during their PE sessions.”

Football for Schools training session for primary school teachers in Corozal on Thursday, November 2. (Photo Credit: CFA)

The Orange Walk Football Association made a similar statement the day before.

“Our main aim is to start to develop these kids at an early age so that we can have good football players. To conclude, each school received some balls for them to use during their PE sessions,” the OWFA said.

“Our main aim is to start to develop these kids at an early age so that we can have good football players. To conclude, each school received some balls for them to use during their PE sessions.”

The FFB launched the Football for Schools (F4S) program on August 15, 2022.

The Football for Schools program, which includes teacher training, also falls under the four-year Memorandum of Understanding the FFB signed on June 29, 2022, with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and E-Governance and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology to lay the foundation for improving the level of football in Belize.

At the time the FFB signed the agreement with the two government ministries, FFB Technical Director Philip Marin told Breaking Belize News the Football for Schools program “is a four-year project that FIFA organized along with UNESCO to create a foundation for football within the primary schools and secondary schools.”

“Its aim is to contribute to education, to the development of football, and also to promote wellness, fitness, and health within the primary school setting.”

Marin said the F4S objective is to make football more accessible to boys and girls from five to 15 years of age countrywide. He said this goal would be achieved by incorporating football activities within the physical education curriculum.