Grassroots football

Grassroots

Football

Childrens grassroots football univers

Cross Cultures advocates childrens grassroots football as an all-inclusive activity open to everyone regardless of talent, gender, ethnic or social background, religious or political affiliations. To us childrens football does much more than building relations among children, coaches and sports clubs. Childrens football also constitutes an important platform in civil society where people from different backgrounds can meet and bond while discussing: children-welfare-future and the development of childrens future.

In our approach we actively involve parents, municipalities, primary school teachers, local sponsors, community police, regional and national football associations, the local media, ministries of youth and sports and many others.

While putting the child in the centre we wish to bring all stakeholders into play in a childrens Grassroots Football Universe. Therefor when we organize grassroots football activities for children the stakeholders all have a place and uphold a function. Like planets turning around the sun.

In other words, we adhere to a civil society approach where strategies and cross cutting workshops are developed for each of our stakeholders to bring them all into play, and here with establishing a sustainable platform for the stakeholders.

8 rules

In childrens football

1 Childrens football is a game. Games should be fun

Childrens football is a childs first encounter with organized football. Organized in the sense that children wear jerseys and play on the pitch. The only thing we must not forget is that football is a game and not a compulsory reality.

We must remember that the first impression is what is important if we want children to get the desire to play. Let children have fun, allow them to play together and pay no attention to the final result. Happy children is the best result we can get. Children who have been given the opportunity to express themselves in a great game with their friends and who have therefore opted to take up playing football.

2 Children should play football as children, not as adults

Childrens football should be adjusted to the needs and predispositions of children individuals, not to the need and predispositions of adults!

3 Children should play football in a safe environment

A childs desire to play football is linked with the desire to play in safe conditions and a safe environment. Therefore, it is the adults main task to create a framework and a pleasant environment in which every single child would dare to speak up and use his/her imagination, where making mistakes is allowed, and where a child is able to learn to take up his/her responsibilities and contribute to the common good. Coexistence is built by people and destroyed by peoples indiffirence.

4 The most important thing for small players is to be with their friends

Children enjoy playing football with their friends. Playing off the pitch is often more important than the match itself.
Fellowship and a positive coexistence are very pronounced features of childrens football because they affect the development of happy children with good friends and healthy interests. Therefore, it is important to promote friendship and coexistence and to allow children to realize that they are not only playing against but also with their opponents.

Remember:
One does not become a good person because he/she is a good football player. But one becomes a better football player if he/she is a good friend, ready to share responsibilities and engage in matters concerning his/her environment in a critical and constructive way.

5 Everybody should play

Nobody has ever been able to become a good player by sitting on the bench. Everybody thinks that playing is great fun. Anyway, nobody knows if he/she will become a good player when he/she grows up. Rarely does a child-star become an adult-star. Winning a championship is not a goal and that is why it is now allowed to use only the best players to win a match.
Everybody should play for the same amount of time. Everybody should try play from the start line-up and everybody should try to play on different positions. However, we must never force them if they do not want to.

6 Teach the children to handle both victory and defeat

All children can participate in childrens football. Nobody is either too bad or too good. That is why it is so important to sustain the principle of even participation during training or in a match. Nobody likes to lose or score a double-digit win. Both victory and defeat should be taken with dignity. If adults can take the defeat, they should also teach children to do the same. Football is a team game. Everybody in the team either wins or loses. Victory is everybodys to take. Similarly defeat is being shared by all.

7 Childrens football should comprise of versatile trainings

Children need to experience various things with their friends from their football, not just football. A versatile sport experience is an excellent asset for a childs development and i can also be useful for the development of its football skills. Children should be encouraged to participate in more than one sport. They should be motivated/encouraged to play ball and other games at home, in their yards, streets and playgrounds.

8 Lets organize a fun football game for small players!

Childrens football should be fun. It should be organized as a shared responsibility of football associations, clubs, leaders, coaches and parents.
Childrens football is focused around the fact that the expression and skills of every single child, his/her personal development, and a positive attitude towards his/her friends are more important than competition and achieved results.