The Soccer Academies Preparing African Children for D-I Competition

August 4, 2017 6:30 AM

A rising number of academies are opening across the continent with the goal of giving children a better education on the way to a better life.
posted by Etrigan (4 comments total)

This is heartwarming that these kids are being given a chance for an education, but makes me sad in a way I can't quite describe that the end goal is to feed the sport-industrial-complex. It's not enough to provide an education, it has to be linked to athletic performance, and future college or professional team possibilities.

I don't want to read into this, but it made me wonder if handicapped kids are automatically excluded from these charities because they couldn't be covered by athletic scholarships later on?
posted by blue_beetle at 7:18 AM on August 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Somewhat related, but with a greater focus on socio-economic development, is the Mathare Youth Sports Association. An episode of CBC's The Current describes how 30 years ago Bob Munro, a Canadian public servant, helped create a small soccer league for youth in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

From the start, it required that the players contribute to the organizing of the league, and also that they spend time cleaning up garbage in their communities (for points in the standings!). 30 years later it has 1,800 teams and 25,000 players, both boys and girls. It's now run completely by the players, and has been nominated twice for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Well worth a listen. Or read the transcript.
posted by Kabanos at 8:07 AM on August 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

it made me wonder if handicapped kids are automatically excluded from these charities

Yes, very clearly so. They are selected on the basis of their ability to play soccer.

Each year, RtD scouts young soccer talent from across Ghana. Some 30,000 kids ages 10 through 18 try out, between 15 and 20 of whom are accepted to its residential academy on the banks of the River Volta.

I am more curious about what happens to a kid who gets injured after joining the academy - are they thrown out if they can no longer play?
posted by the agents of KAOS at 7:10 PM on August 4, 2017

I was really glad that it seemed like girls were also included in these programs. One reason that the US women are so dominant in soccer is that very few countries (in any part of the world) place the same focus on girls sports as they do on boys. All that said, these programs are aimed at very very very few children per country.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:43 AM on August 5, 2017