Tonga Football Association’s (TFA) Saturday morning Kids Fun Football programme is proving to be a winner in the build up to the launch of the ‘Just Play’ program later this year in the kingdom.
Children as young as five years old to 13 years of age are turning up in numbers every Saturday morning from 10am onwards ready and eager to hone their skills with their respective coaches.
Despite being located in the heart of Tongatapu Island, and well away from the city centre, this Saturday alone had more than 80 kids in attendance, with more than twenty children coming from the village of Folaha.
Parents and supporters are going out of their way to bring interested children to the Football Academy in ‘Atele. A mother from Hahake district arrived with a van load of kids whose interest she had roused through a church announcement made the previous Sunday.
Kids’ fun football involves dividing children according to their age group and for the first 40 minutes their session rotates amongst coaches who teach different skills and tactics. The remainder of their time is devoted to playing in teams of up to six aside, with five games on a field simultaneously and on a rotational basis.
TFA’s Technical Director Kilifi Uele said he is working on introducing a new prize competition for kids to keep them focused.
Kids Fun Football is free to all children and welcomes newcomers every Saturday morning at the Soccer academy in ‘Atele kicking off at 10am.
Courtesy of TFA Media
