           09/10/09 Berlin / Stellenbosch One Big Step Forward  A new cooperative project between the University of Stellenbosch and *stars of tomorrow, which was already announced in March, will start in January 2010. Last week representatives from both sides met eachother and acknowledged the agenda for the „Cooperative Relationship to Support Youth Development through Soccer“. Gugu Ntuli (CEO SUSPI, Stellenbosch-University), Lean Terblanche ( Football Association), Prof. ES Bressan (Department of Sport Science, Stellenbosch-University), Vossie van Schalkwyk (Coordinator) and Kai Hill (CEO *stars of tomorrow) took part in the meeting. The University of Stellenbosch found in *stars of tomorrow a partner which has been “internationally acclaimed as an organisation of the highest calibre“. This high estimation of our organisation makes sure that the goals of *stars of tomorrow – to provide local children with direct, practical and sustainable projects – with this partnership will put into practice. The new Sports-Program, which will start at the University of Stellenbosch, will contain several aspects to use soccer as a medium to attract youth out of any class. An “After-school Youth Soccer Centre“ would be the core of the project.The soccer development of the children is not the only aim, which these centres would achieve. Academic development, life skills development and nutrional development are three more goals of this new centres. Beneath the “After-school Youth Soccer Centres“ there are two other big parts in our project. One will be a “Talent Identification and Development Program“ and oneother will be a “Community Education Outreach Program“. On the one hand we will find new soccer-*stars of tomorrow and on the other hand we will start workshops with different themes that reach from referee-qualification to health issues such as providing information about HIV/AIDS. All in all this cooperative relationship combines the development of youth through participation in soccer within the spirit of the “Pedagogy of Hope“. We hope that this project will be a sustainable model that will leave a positive legacy in South Africa, long after the excitement oft the 2010 Soccer World Cup has passed. |
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