Generation Amazing, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) flagship human and social legacy programme, has partnered with the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) to launch a joint football for development initiative for coaching education that will benefit thousands of children and youth across CONCACAF’s 41 member associations.
The long-term legacy initiative is part of a strategic partnership announced in September 2020 between CONCACAF, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the SC, the organisation charged with delivering the infrastructure and operations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
The first phase of this football for social change programme, which kicks off this July, will see 11 CONCACAF member associations participating, with successive phases set to reach the entire region by 2025, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will be hosted in the CONCACAF region by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The programme launched this week at a children’s football event delivered by CONCACAF and Generation Amazing in Houston, Texas, where several CONCACAF Gold Cup matches are taking place. Around 100 children joined CONCACAF coaches, Generation Amazing legends and others from the world of football to announce this game-changing initiative.
Commenting on this significant partnership, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, QFA President, said: “This is another important milestone for the Qatar Football Association, as we work with our respected federations across the CONCACAF region to develop grassroots football. This exciting collaboration will enhance social inclusion and we look forward to jointly building a lasting human legacy across the host region of the next FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US.”
Speaking about the launch of the partnership, CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani said: “We are very excited about this strategic partnership with Generation Amazing and the potential it has to give a tremendous boost to grassroots and community football in the CONCACAF region. It will benefit all 41 of our member associations, supporting them in their own efforts to grow the game by providing new skills and opportunities to local coaches, who in turn can inspire the next generation. I want to thank the Supreme Committee and other stakeholders in Qatar for their commitment to growing the game in the CONCACAF region and globally.”
The event in Houston kicked off what will be a four-year programme, which has been developed collaboratively between CONCACAF and Generation Amazing. It will be delivered with each community’s strengths and challenges in mind. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the sessions will use an innovative football for social change methodology to enhance equality and social inclusion.
Speaking about the launch of the programme, SC Secretary General, H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, said: “We are delighted to see Generation Amazing working alongside CONCACAF to offer young people, including those from underprivileged communities, the opportunity to improve both their lives and the prospects of their communities through the transformative power of football. The partnership marks another exciting development on the road to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as we continue to work to deliver a lasting social and human legacy that empowers young people around the world.”
CONCACAF General Secretary, Philippe Moggio, added: “Working together with Generation Amazing, we have developed a programme that will have a really positive impact on local football in our region. This week’s event in Houston is the springboard for a project that will benefit the entire region. We can’t wait to roll this out across our region and further support our member associations in their development efforts.”
The programme will enable CONCACAF member associations to optimise their own grassroots coaching education curriculums. It will ultimately provide more local coaches with the skills they need to deliver fun and engaging football sessions for young people in their communities. The course itself will consist of a blended approach of online and in-person learning, in which experts from both organisations will deliver specialised workshops to produce training for all coaches, volunteers and stakeholders in each CONCACAF member association.
Coaches will be trained on multiple aspects, including the importance of their role, safeguarding, sport for development and how to use football as a tool to support social change. Once the coaches have been educated with this curriculum, CONCACAF will implement a six-week football for social change programme across local schools, academies and clubs to benefit hundreds of girls and boys aged 8-12.
As with Generation Amazing programming launched across communities in Qatar, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the expansion into CONCACAF countries will continue to have a significant focus on community coach development, which will benefit thousands of young people across the region, and help ensure a lasting human legacy for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
The partnership between CONCACAF, the QFA and the SC, includes the Qatar national team competing as a guest in both the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups. Qatar are the reigning champions of Asia after winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2019. The 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup kicked off on 10 July.
To find out more about the launch of the programme, follow @CONCACAF and @GA4Good on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.