The grassroots initiative was launched last week – Football Federation Samoa (FFS) is the sixth OFC member association to experience it – and the introduction wrapped up with a two-day course on Wednesday and Thursday.
Just Play grassroots project manager Atufili Talaia and FFS technical director Tunoa Lui took charge of the course, which was attended by 17 teachers from different public schools around Samoa, as well as one community representative from Vaiala, three members of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture and five FFS volunteers.
Participants were given Just Play manuals and taught how to teach children a range of football skills, including running with the ball, shooting, controlling and passing.
They then had to put into practice what they had learned during a football festival with children from Vailoa Primary School.
Talaia was very pleased with the progress made throughout the week.
“These courses went very well, we were able to provide the participants with useful information and tools that they will need to run the programme at their schools,” he says.
“Now we have to monitor and provide assistance to the schools when they start to deliver the programme over the next six weeks.”
The aim of Just Play is to encourage physical activity among young people by providing funding for football training programmes and equipment in primary schools across the Pacific region.
It has also been launched in Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, as well as Manukau in south Auckland.
It is designed for children aged from six to 12 and is based around structured activity programmes, as well as the distribution of equipment packs containing balls, cones, bibs, activity manuals and other resources.
The Australian government is helping fund Just Play in several of the Pacific countries and the programme is led by OFC technical coordinator Colin Tuaa, head of social responsibility Franck Castillo and consultant Vania Kenning.
For more on Samoan football visit www.footballsamoa.ws