The Inħobb il-Futbol Foundation (IFF), the Malta Football Players Association (MFPA) and the Youth Football Association have teamed up to embark on a new awareness campaign aimed at promoting positive behaviour among parents, legal guardians, coaches and supporters in general during youth football matches and activities.
In sync with the slogan of the campaign, ‘Let Us Play – Our Dreams, Our Game’, all efforts and initiatives are geared towards encouraging adults to support their football-loving children in a positive and uplifting manner, making the game more fun and inclusive for everyone.
Parents and coaches clearly play a fundamental role in the development of our children, both in football and in terms of character formation. While their incredible support and the sacrifices they make deserve our full appreciation, the urge to push the children to give their best, excel and achieve success can, at times, lead to excessive pressure which can have a negative effect on the confidence and morale of young footballers.
It is for this reason that the IFF, MFPA and Youth FA have come together to undertake this campaign which was launched during the Youth FA’s annual Under-9 Festival, held last Saturday at the Rabat Ajax Ground in Mtarfa. A total of 18 football nurseries took part in the festival.
STRONG MESSAGE
Participating children held aloft a colourful banner capturing the campaign’s objective and Josie Cassar, Director of Administration at the IFF, and Stephanie Rocco, the General Secretary of the Youth FA, delivered a short but strong message. It said:
“We all love our children and we want the best for them. Not only that, we will do anything to see them happy but let’s be honest… Is our behaviour during football activities truly encouraging them to express themselves and become better persons and football players?
“Positive energy creates a positive mindset but negative comments, shouting and excessive pressure affect our children’s morale and mindset.
“The next time we enter a football venue, let’s focus on being positive and encourage others to do the same.
“Change begins with us!”
The campaign will be promoted at IFF and Youth FA events over the next 12 months, focusing mostly on festivals, and activities involving nursery administrators and coaches. Posters will be
distributed to nurseries to be displayed prominently in public areas. These efforts will be backed by a media campaign.
LET THE CHILDREN PLAY AND HAVE FUN
The theme of this campaign also reflects the philosophy of Fr Hilary Tagliaferro, the founder of the Youth Football Association and pillar of youth football in Malta, who has long been emphasising the benefits of encouraging our children to be creative, express themselves and live football with love.
At a recent event co-hosted by the IFF and the Youth FA, Fr Hilary delivered this message: “I appeal to the parents and coaches… instill the love and passion for football among the children but don’t exert excessive pressure on them. Encourage them to express themselves and be creative.”
The Positive Behaviour in Youth Football campaign is also part of eplay, a UEFA and EU-backed international project aimed at promoting FairPlay behaviours among parents of children aged 8- 14 years playing football. The Malta Football Association is one of the partners of the eplay project.
