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Just Play day celebrated in style |
For a week long workshop to deliver the program to school teachers and community leaders.
The workshop is scheduled to take place on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st February, following this Paiti and Tisam will visit schools and communities assisting the new facilitators in delivering the program while running festivals within the schools and they look forward to a week of fun and participation with the children.
Cook Islands Football Association first launched the JUST PLAY Grassroots Programme of March last year at the Takitumu Primary School where a memorandum of understanding was signed between Cook Islands Football President Lee Harmon, Oceania Football Confederation President, David Chung, Minister of Sports, Hon. Mark Brown and Secretary of Education, Ms. Sharyn Paio.
‘Just Play’ is a program initiated by the Oceania Football Confederation. It is a social development grassroots football program based on participation and fun. It offers everyone the chance to play without discrimination.
The program is not only for schools but also for the wider community and youth groups. It promotes an active lifestyle among our young citizens who come from disadvantaged areas or have limited access to sports clubs.
After returning from a recent trip to Auckland, New Zealand, Paiti shared experiences with seven other project managers from within the Oceania region and will no doubt draw on those experiences to deliver the current Just Play manual to the participants in Aitutaki with topics such as learning skills, gender opportunity & social inclusion.
“Fifteen participants have been confirmed to take part in next week’s course to become facilitators to deliver this grassroots program in schools and the wider community of Aitutaki,” says Paiti.
“We look forward to working with the community of Aitutaki with the group work, discussions, practical sessions and most of all to have FUN with Just Play,” she says.
Just Play equipments which includes bibs, balls, cones, rings and whistles along with the ‘Just Play’ manual will be handed out to the participating schools and community organizations and will no doubt motivate facilitators to promote ‘Just Play’ to the wider community of Aitutaki.
We would like to acknowledge Air Rarotonga for their assistance for the discount in freighting the equipments for the Aitutaki program.
‘Just Play’ is funded by the Australian Government (AusAID), UEFA and Oceania Football Confederation.
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