HOW TO ESTABLISH AND RUN A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB Club guide Hue, 2012 1 2 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 5 CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB? CHAPTER 2: HOW TO BEGIN A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB? CHAPTER 3: WHO CAN SUPPORT THE CLUB? CHAPTER 4: MANAGING AND ADMINISTRATING A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB CHAPTER 5: LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION CHAPTER 6: FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES CHAPTER 7: BECOME A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER CHAPTER 8: CLUB DEVELOPMENT CONCLUSION 7 7 11 11 23 23 33 33 83 83 95 95 99 99 103 103 111 3 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, we would like to express our deep gratitude to the Football Association of Norway for their precious ideas in organizing football activities for children through the grassroots football clubs in Vietnam. Moreover, our sincere thanks go to all teachers, coaches and volunteers in local communities for their enthusiastic cooperation which inspires this guidebook author. To Mr. Anders Krystad, an expert with over twenty years experience in a grassroots football environment not only in Norway but also in other countries all over the world, especially in Vietnam, we would like to express our profound gratitude for his tireless efforts in developing grassroots football and communities in Vietnam. To all pupils and players who have been participating in these club activities, your cheerfulness after playing football is really fascinating. Last but not least, this club guide cannot be fully completed without the enthusiastic cooperation of • Those who are really keen on this number one sport in Vietnam and the Norwegian voluntary instructors. • All partners of Football for All in Vietnamat all levels. • Thua Thien Hue Department of Education and Training; Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism and the Vietnam Football Federation. • All staff of Football for All in Vietnam • Mr. Hodder Arnold – the “Running a club” author • Ms. Brit Karen – Norwegian voluntary instructor 5 6 CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB? 7 Many people think that a football club only aims at developing talents and winning in all football matches. However, a football club should be considered as an appealing place for all local communities and for those who are interested in football, they might be players, volunteers, supporters or club managers. The football club is not only a destination for fun and solidarity but also for all pleasure, competitions and for cheer. The non-competitive plans for children at these clubs do not aim at limiting talent development, but offering opportunities for talents to be developed. Therefore, the clubs can provide an environment to welcome all people and challenge to develop football skills. In Norway, the smallest football club consists of one or two teams; meanwhile, the big one has hundreds of these. These clubs are managed and run in many different ways. Some clubs have enough economic potential and infrastructure for organizing training activities and high profile matches; however, somecan’t afford these activities, so they are later celebrated on paddy field pitches. In many places all over the world, a football club is supposed to be owned by one person who is also its decision-maker, and it only aims at winning and making profit. Nevertheless, in other places, football clubs are established in order to help the society face the difficulties such as health issues against HIV/AIDS, life skills education, local community development and football development. Consequently, a football club uses its popularity to attract people’s attention towards its common objectives, i.e. social development. It is a good idea for football activities and social development to be balanced with different life skills in which football is the main factor; life skills are integrated naturally and positively. In other words, a cooking handbook with its fixed instructions can’t be successful and interesting without some interesting and usefulexamples. Therefore, it is advisable to develop a football club from theexperiences or recommendations collected in some lectures or daily football activities. Similarly, the Football Association of Norway sees value in sustainable football structure formed by non-competitiveness in grassroots football 8 clubs is an ideal way to develop talents. As a result, player recruitment and competitiveness will be maximized and minimized respectively. There come opportunities to develop skills as well as personalities. A football club is an ideal place for those who are interested in football. Basically, it is not only a game but also a community for everybody to join. The simplest way to organize the football activities is one football per two players. These two players will decide when to play with each other again, who is responsible for keeping and pumping the ball as well as whom they are playing or competing with. These features are key points of a football club. In other aspects, many famous clubs all over the world such as Barcelona, AC Milan, Manchester United, Chelsea, among others are all well-known and well-supported because they are actually huge financial companies owned by the multi-national companies which are invested so as to make profit and become famous at many national and international leagues This guidebook will take the non-competitive grassroots football clubs in Norway as models in guiding to establish a football club by keeping the capacity and overcoming the challenges. It doesn’t aim at establishing clubs like Real Madrid. As a result, a football club based on democratic principlesis formed from one football per two players to its appropriate development. However, this guidebook should be used as a useful recommendation to build your own club to suit your local reality and community. We would also like to present some football principles used for Norwegian children which are non-competitive principles. Talent development will not be emphasized in this guidebook; rather useful activities for everybody in a safe environment with qualified coaches, referees and club managers instead. Such activities offer opportunities for people who want to join not based on their skills or parents’ ambitions. We think that guiding the clubs in terms of establishment and operation as well as offering advice to develop clubs is just an initial step but not entirely sufficient so we do hope that our current attempt will make clubs develop more in line with the time and the changing world. 9 We do want this guidebook to brings you inspirations and ideas for openness and for the involvement of everybody, football clubs in which children gather and practice playing football together in a safe environment, where players can raise their opinions about activities in which they participate. Moreover, the clubs are to provide children with talent development opportunities and with the desire to be proud members and have more fun. WHY DO WE NEED A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB? The possible answers are: •To share the same interests in football •To organize better football activities •To develop life skills and personal skills through a variety of football and club activities •To create a network for mutual support •To develop internal and external values of football( respect, fair play, equality, sharing) •To promote the democratic principles in football clubs •To enhance the identity, self-esteem, ownership of club •To motivate education through football activities •To promote the responsibilities to the community •To create a learning environment in clubs •To have more fun and friends Others depend on your interest and objectives. 10 CHAPTER 2: HOW TO BEGIN A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB? 11 Most of us love football with all of our hearts; and many of go the stadium during weekends to support our favorite teams, and thousands of people spend sleepless nights watching their beloved players in the final of World Championship. A lot of people never miss any matches at their local area whether they belong to a hick or barefoot tournaments. How about hundreds of clubsunder FFAV program and thousands of boys and girls playing football tournaments in FFAV program? Annually, we have hundreds of local football tournaments, hundreds of football schools, thousands of regular training sessions organized at schools which create an essential grassroots football activity for children ranging from 6 to 15 years old. Why? Because children have fun, meet new friends and learn something after playing football. The most important thing is that the clubs offer a great amount of regular training activities, which are held by many volunteers and people interested in football for thousands of children every week. Clearly, the grassroots football does not exist without this contribution Steps to begin a football club: Hold the first meeting with the school, parents, children and those who are interested in football in the community. 12 This is an important meeting for establishing a grassroots football club in which long-life club members like football lovers living nearby the clubs, at schools or in the community should be defined. They should be invited to take part in this meeting so that together they can discuss the topic of “why do we need a football club?” the target group, activities, budget allocation and how to participate in activities. A brief meeting including the club’s objectives, players recruitment, organizational structure, budget, infrastructure and its name should be carried out. The results of the meeting will probably be a plan for a series of following activities for the members to prepare for the establishmentof a football club. General view of interest in football and a football club •What did we have? •What is good for a club? •What are our strengths? •What do we need? •Parents’ commitment in voluntary work for the clubs if the players are children. •Agreement on the objectives of the club establishment •Discuss and agree on the values of the club •Discuss and agree on the principles of the club: Noncompetitive: Fun •Identify target group of the club •Discuss and agree on club’s rules and regulations •Discuss and agree on the regularity of all activities •Agree on activities which should not take place at the club Electing the Management Board of the club and members’ responsibilities (including Board of management and leaders of football teams). 13 Management board of the club are representatives of male and female players, ethnic groups, parents, and all related partners in the community and school. The players should elect their own representatives who cooperate with other members of the BoM to voice their likes and dislikes. Their participation expresses the club’s attention towards its target group. The electing of representatives to Board of Management should be done by players. In such a case, guidance and recommendation should be given. However, the club should have their development plan for this group to be more confident, build their capacity so that they can help activities at the club. Electing players’ representatives in BoM This step helps the players have their representatives in the club’s BoM which makes them feel proud of their significant contribution to the club’s activities rather than just as role players. However, choosing their right representatives among hundreds of players is quite important and it is suggested that children should be allowed to elect their representatives. More importantly, 14 the club should have simple instructions on how to elect their representatives and raise their voice to the club’s managing members. The representatives ought to be the most active and influential participants in all club activities, and can be the ones to be willing to help other club’s members, and the ones who make certain progress in their studies and make good examples. The club can carry out a meeting to help the players elect their representatives by secret voting, raising hands or writing names on the blackboard. Both boys and girls should be represented in BoM. After the players are chosen as representatives, they should be encouraged to promote their roles by offering them opportunities to participate in some extra training like peer leader training course, and appropriate classes which provide them necessary skills and confidence so that they can better their roles in the club’s BoM. The club is recommended to organize more training courses on communication skills or children football referee to enhance their knowledge; therefore, they are more qualified to give much contribution to the club. 15 Our activities are for children, so listen and respect their ideas! Recruitment: register, announce and perform children’s rights. Playersare recruited based on their voluntary participation rather than their skills. Attracting as many players as possible is better than excluding them and most importantly, both boys and girls must be included. Actually, the girl’s football matches played are more amazing, appealing and fun. It is of significance that any child who desires to participate in the club is warmly conditioned to be able to. At the grassroots level, the BoM is responsible for all children having their rights to join the club; therefore, they must have a thorough understanding of children’srights. During the process of organizing the club’s activities, children’s participation is considered to be more important than their experiences. In fact, if they do not join any activities, they learn nothing. Many clubs have recruited their players based on their football skills since their childhood; nevertheless, other children are not meant to be less interested in the game. Therefore, children should be encouraged to experience and play as others in the club because nobody can foresee who is more successful than others when growing up. The club is supposed to consider how to provide children equal playing time rather than making speeches or giving opinions. In football, where the competition comes from 16 the leaders of clubs and parents, the principle of participation should be of the utmost importance. In organizing regular training sessions, coaches or activity organizers are recommended to offer the skillful players more demanding tasks than the others aiming at helping them set their own objectives; offer ing appropriate exercises to those who are not good enough. For example, in a football tournament, one team is divided into two sub teams and each plays in each half. Children have a wide range of reasons for participation in the football club. Some of them would like to join the club to be with their friends; some would like to be famous or imitate their idols; others join so as to keep a football at home or enjoy group activities. However, some of them just participate to support or cheer their friends. It is said that more members brings more strengths, so the club should let the children’s sense of voluntary participation motivate them to fill their name in the list. Insurance: healthcare insurance, personal injuries and other policies All clubs are responsible to make sure that all members have their compulsory healthcare insurance. In case the players can’t afford theirs, clubs have to look for financial support to make sure all members are insured; they can suggest FFAV buying insurance for those who are unable to. In this case, all information related to these people should not be informed to other club members. Naming and designing the club’s logo: FFAV club’s logos 17 The club’s name and logo should be under the agreement by all club members. It might be originated from historical, cultural or geographical features of the place where the club is situated or the values which the club is striving for. It is of great importance that all members agree on its name and logo because they make the club members feel proud and give ownership. Moreover, the name and logo help motivate people to join the club and learn its objectives. Preparing football pitches: The best way to know whether the club explores the facilities effectively or not is to observe the available facilities and discuss with the responsible persons to share the facilities such as school yard, sport hall, football pitches, and football goal. If the club has enough space, the pitch can be upgraded with the financial contribution from parents and local authorities or other sponsors. In fact, the pitch is not expected to be large or standard but just spacious enough for over 10 people to hold all related football activities. More importantly, the pitch must be clean, tidy and safe for the players to be protected from avoidable injuries during the process of practicing, playing and organizing activities. Contact NFF-FFAV, if you need any technical support on pitch upgrade or information the safety checking of the pitch. 18 Finance, fundraising and bank account It is very essential for a new club to start the fund raising activities as soon as possible to afford its daily operation like membership fees, pitch renting, pitch upgrade, clothes and equipmentpurchasing. Annual membership fee is a key factor in building the club’s fund. However, some members cannot afford it; in this case, the club has to find ways to support them by using the club’s budget or asking for sponsors and remember not to publicize this. All members should be equally treated in all situations. All members must reach an agreement on choosing the bank to open an account under the club’s name and the signature of the account holder’s name as well as all expendituremust be informed to all club members, who are also the owners of any of properties of the club. In addition, all members are required to have an agreement on the principles of fund raising and the club’s expenditure. The club’s basic financial policies, cost norm and position of financial decision-maker are major issues, thus they need discussing in public. The transparency regarding financial processesis seen as key issue not only in football but in other aspects as well. All club members are allowed to know, question and monitor the club’s expenditure. Other steps: Club’s traditional team shirt color The club’s team shirt color must be decided by all members of the clubs. Club team shirt color is the identity of club, so care should be taken in deciding and changes should be avoided. Additionally, a backup colors is suggested in case the club’s competitor wears the same color. A series of bibs with different colors should be prepared for the regular training sessions and tournaments. Annual club meetings: The annual club meeting’s time and contents stated in the club’s regulations are decided by the club members. All members are required to attend this meeting. The activity plan is expected to be agreed and notified to the all club 19 members. It will be useful for the club if players’ parents are provided with a clear schedule of the year. The club annual meeting is the time for discussion of key issues, such as activity plans and a proposed budget in a year among members’ participation rather than detailed discussion. For example, a big event that the club should participate or the election of Board of Management for the next year. Club periodical meeting: It is very essential for all decisions during the club meetings to be documentedand transferred to all members. The periodical club meeting helps the clubs reflect and evaluate what they have done, then overcome the weaknesses and plan for the coming development. (See club development toolkit) Choosing time and day for the club’s opening ceremony Together with all club members, the interested, potential sponsors and volunteers are significant participants. Moreover, parents are indispensable since they need to understand the goals and objectives of their children’s participation. 20 A sample of club’s meeting program Review of last meeting minute Discuss financial related issues Discuss issues related to football clubs Mention the special events Others Action plan for the coming stage (see club development tool)) Activity Person in charge When How Time for the next meeting: at………, …………………….. (Day/month/year) 21 Club’s activity preparation. Please answer the following questions: What is the necessary equipment to start clubs ’activity? Why do we have to participate in common activity? Who is responsible for the club’s property? 22 CHAPTER 3: WHO CAN SUPPORT THE CLUB? 23 Each club needs supporting in each specific stage for different activities from various individuals and groups. FFAV structure and instructions are encouraged to be used; however, this information is just suggested; it depends on your club’s ability to have your own creativity and special aids. Fundraising Approach: you must decide on your first partner to approach and introduce your club including values and necessary funded activities.You may not have great expectations in the first meeting because they may not know who you are and you do not understand their expectations It helps save time if you can access the decision-maker. Therefore, it is a good idea to have the first wellprepared meeting with some well-invested materials related to your club, such as a letter of introductionand leaflets emphasizing the achievements to attract more sponsors ‘attention. Your materials should show detailed opportunities, benefits and sponsoring to attract the interest from potential companies and individuals. Making plans to develop the relationship with the sponsors is very important, because they are the club’s long term partners. Necessary mutual agreement between the club and sponsors: Funding duration What the club receives from the sponsors (should be in details even with small item), Benefits the sponsors gain from funding the club Contract termination Costs related to material printing, transportation, communication, Place and time of advertising sponsors’ trademark, images and logos, Sponsors’ names introduced in the club’s events, Sponsors invited to make a speech at the club’s events, Bilateral responsibilities and rights, 24 Methods of communication, Contract ending or solving difficulties (if any) Other practical issues, Actually, the sponsors will not ask for anything when funding the club; they are supposed to be informed of all activities carried out. Therefore, showing the club’s image is desirable. Schools: If your club is established and operated at a school with lots of pupils, together with the school you will have an advantage in organizing extra activities as well as life skills education for the pupils. In addition, there is a large group of voluntary teachers and trainers whom the club can ask for support and coordination. As a result, lots of activities are easily organized for many pupils ensuring 50 % boys and 50% girls participation. Schools are the best places for player recruitment and using available facilities. Local authorities: If your club is a useful destination which is in line with local development orientation, you can suggest for their support in terms of facilities, human resources as well as budgeting for your club. For example, you can ask for their permission to share their district football pitch and technical aids for your activities. It is important to remember to identify the contact person with local authority and invite them to participate. Department of Education and Training on district level (Sub DoET): This organization is responsible for local training activities, so you should keep regular contact to receive their support. Great attention is paid to your 25 club if their educational demands are satisfied; for instance, the number of children who drop out is reduced and playing football brings the children motivation to better their studies. In case of organizing special events, the participation of Sub DoET is required. Identify the contact person and inform them all of your club’s activities. You must ask for their permission and support for any training courses involvedlots of teachers ‘participation. Department of Education and Training: If your club is to be a model of building a friendly school, active students and good life skills education, you should better keep a collection of interesting stories, evidence to share with other partners and receive the support from DoET. Youth Union and Women Union: These are two powerful and active forces whose youth, volunteers, sisters and mothers love the children, so it is advisable to invite them to participate. The Young Pioneers at school Parents Association Cultural and sports offices at district level Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Provincial Football Association Vietnam Football Association Club developer (CD): these are available resourses supporting the club in the community, so you can keep contact with them if you need any support for the club. The Football Association of Norway – Football for All in Vietnam is the first organization to develop grassroots football clubs in Vietnam. NFF has 26 gained lots of experience in holding grassroots football clubs; therefore, you can get access and keep regular contact with them (www.fotball.no) for any useful advice related to your club operation and technical supports.(Contact information: www.ffav.com.vn) Experience: making a booklet includingall contact information of individuals and organizations that have cooperated and funded the club. Make the booklet become valuable. Remember that everything’s just started. Keep going on and striving for better! Summary: Decide which support you need Develop the list of individuals and organizations providing support to your club Do not hesitate to ask for help about club operation Remember to express your gratitude towards the sponsors and think of them Be patient Never forget to help others when being asked. 27 Six ways of recruiting volunteers 1. Define the necessary tasks Spend time calling for voluntary participation at the beginning of the club establishment. Define the roles of volunteers Define the tasks shared in case of time shortage 2. Define the volunteers’ responsibilities Consider what the volunteers can do to support Provide a description of the volunteers’ work or responsibilities Secure loyalty and inform the volunteers’ tasks Invest time for volunteers’ training courses 3. Define people in charge of the tasks Compare the demanding skills with the potential volunteers Check whether volunteers know anything about football and/or participation in supporting football activities Determine the most important factors – skills and experience Decide how to obtain the skills needed 4. Seek out for volunteers Define the places to look Use a network of friends, parents, schools, universities and local communities Collect information of skills supported for the clubs 5. Inform the club’s recruiting demands 28 Appreciate volunteers’ supports to the club Welcome all volunteers’ queries Offer volunteers tasks related to matches and tournaments which are suitable to their ability. 6. Start with your thinking Provide easy procedures for volunteers to register Be willing to help volunteers Some examples of volunteers’ roles and responsibilities at a grassroots football club. •Participate in the preparation of meetings for the club’s tournaments •Keep in contact with other clubs and grasp the club’s general plans •Registering the players’ names at the local tournaments •Prepare facilities and equipment at the club’s tournaments and regular training •Transport the players to the tournaments •Print the club’ s uniforms •Train the players •Be referees at the matches 29 In summary: •Think of whom to recruit and the places where you can find many volunteers •Carry out skills testing •Draft and reach an agreement on volunteers’ tasks and roles at the club •Support new volunteers at the beginning days of work •Express gratitude to volunteers •Develop programs to train and support volunteers •Take the opportunities to increase the number of volunteers and setting up activity plans •Appreciate parents as a great source of volunteers FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES – WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? •Aim at organizing more activities for children •Enhance club members’ responsibilities and ownership (BoM, players and coaches) •Club will be financially independent •Reduce dependence on funding groups (if any) •Build the club’s sustainability 30 Recommended activities: Friendship clubs: •Aim at gaining financial supports •Obtain a friendship relationship with a club/school/enterprise in Norway Seeking potential organizations for supports •Companies situated in the local area •Newly established enterprises with strange names and logos •Enterprises for children’s products •Organizations with long term sponsorship Voluntary activities: •Volunteers work to fundraise for the club/matches •Where to find potential volunteers: players, the players’ parents, siblings and relatives •Tour guides for foreigners •Vehicle guarding and cleaning at the club’ events •Take advantage of parents, people with special skills or famous people Calling for the local community’s supports •The closer the club is to the local community, the more supports it receives from the local •Follow the community’s developing orientation and help them enhance it •Build the club as the local community’s meeting hall •Making and selling the items with the club’s images: seeking funding for these products or the club can make the items with the aid of parents, volunteers, then selling them at a low price. 31 •These items might be calendars, raincoats, training uniforms, lucky envelopes, toilet papers, hats and souvenirs. Organizing fundraising activities on special occasions in a year Artistic performances Celebrities’ participation with the club Competitions Some extra activities (remedial classes, outdoor activities and free food provision for children) Games with and without tickets, lotteries Kiosk of soft drinks, snacks, fast food, biscuits and candies Club’s fund Using children’s creativeness: encouraging children to make plans and manage themselves with the goal raising funds for the club. They can be supported; however, give them opportunities to do their best is more important. Children can write letters to the enterprises or take part in selling waste papers/ bottles Contact with companies if they are interested Others Some important notes: the donors of FFAV are the enterprises without any business strategies contradicting to FFAV values such as no smoking, no environmental pollution and no child labor abuse. The donors should not have any sensitive problems on politics or religions The donors should have good cooperation relationship with the government of Vietnam 32 CHAPTER 4: MANAGING AND ADMINISTRATING A GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL CLUB This chapter will focus on: - Developing the club’s goals and objectives - Developing the club’s principles - Developing the club’s organizational structure, human resource, internal and external affairs. - Making plans to run the club smoothly during the year - Guiding the club’s activities - Monitoring and evaluating the club’s activities by its goals and objectives - Managing the club’s finance 33 DEVELOPING THE CLUB’S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Reaching an agreement on the club’s goals and objectives is the key to making the process of administration convenient. It is encouraged to use the participatory method in discussing any issues at the club; this is done to make sure that all people’s ideas are paid much attention (contact FFAV for further information). Everyone is supposed to share common interest in the club’s goals; therefore, all related partners such as potential donors, children and those interested in the club’s activities are invited to collect as many ideas and initiatives as possible, enabling to reach common objectives. These most suitable and practical objectives are only gained depending on the school’s development goals and strategies in the local community. All preparations for the above discussion are essential; the proposed goals might not be successful at first but five or ten years later might be with your efforts. The detailed objectives are required for the club’s goals to be reached. A general view of the community’s reality, sources and desires is necessary for you to provide participants with useful suggestions for the discussion. “Football for All in Vietnam” wishes that all people, especially children who want to play football are offered the opportunities. FFAV Objectives: 1. Organizational structures exist with well-defined and functioning internal structures linked to a football pyramid, from club to national level, are developed and are more sustainable. 2. The participation of people at all levels within the scope of FFAV, are strengthened on the basis of respectfulness and equality (encourage female, marginalized groups, ethnic minorities) 3. The management, professionalism, expertise and capacity of the project staff, partners, and target groups (volunteers, teachers, children, and parents) are enhanced 4. Awareness of life skills and the life skills of the people participating in the project are developed and raised. Stigma and discrimination are reduced. 5. The awareness of grassroots football with an emphasis on volunteerism is promoted and raised. 34 35 BUILDING THE CLUB’ VALUES AND PRINCIPLES If values are seen as the guidelines for all club’s activities, principles will guide and protect you, therefore, these issues need to be discussed thoroughly by all club members. The suggestions prepared before the discussion are necessary for all. Children need to be listened and considered as the center of the club’s values. FFAV Values 1. Community participation 2. We have fun when we play and learn 3. Volunteerism 4. Learning 5. Team spirit 6. Respect and tolerance 7. Honesty 8. Human dignity and rights 9. Equality 10. Justice and peace 11.Fair-play 12.Friendly and positive environment 13.Fun FFAV Principles • FFAV have a rights based approach, and believe children have a right to play. FFAV acknowledges the UN Convention on Children’s Rights as our guidelines in all respects. • FFAV see physical activities as a tool for both personal and social development and growth, for all members of the clubs, including children, youths and adults. 36 • FFAV demands all football activities in clubs are non competitive, and that participation must be based on the children’s interest, rather than parents and/ or coaches/teachers ambitions.Competitive football and talent development is the responsibility of the national football structures. • FFAV demand an absolute gender balance; all clubs must follow the 50/50 boys and girls principle in order to receive support in any form. • FFAV accepts no form of discrimination, whether it is based on gender, ethnic background, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation etc., and constantly monitor this in all clubs. • FFAV demand all football clubs to be self-governing, and that all activities must be based on honesty, openness and voluntarism. • FFAV uses a participatory approach and methods in education and in activities in correspondence with this. • FFAV wants high intensity during football activities and accepts no lines, laps and lectures. (“The 3 L’s”) Lines are defined as children standing in line waiting to execute the tasks given by coaches. One ball per child is the answer, minimum 1 ball per 2 children. Laps are defined as coaches punishing the children to run laps around the pitch if they have not performed well, or have done anything the coach did not like. Lectures are defined as coaches standing on the pitch giving long talks and/or theory instead of the children doing different exercises. • FFAV are highly concerned about the children’s safety from all dangers, such as sexual abuse, violence, racism, unexploded materials from war time, dangerous traffic etc; all dangers children might face. • FFAV speaks openly about sensitive issues such as sexual orientation and sexual abuse, even if issues like this are deemed to be taboo. • FFAV promote high quality in all activity, education, material etc. • FFAV promotes that all activities must be fun, but at the same time challenging. 37 • FFAV believe that personal achievement is created through the feeling of personal mastering. All coaches are taught that this is a cornerstone of arranging activities for children, as the level of skill is often is very different. Tasks and exercises must be given accordingly. • FFAV seeks representation of marginalized groups at all levels in the activities, not only on the pitch, but also in the board room etc. • FFAV demand all clubs to include and integrate different life skills components in all training sessions and tournaments. The life skills components are chosen by the clubs themselves, based on their needs. • FFAV require a board representative of the local community. Teachers, parents and children must be represented, which is the case in all FFAV clubs now. Volunteers and members of partners like Women’s Union and Youth Union are also encouraged to be on the boards. All FFAV clubs have boards with at least 9 members, also ensuring greater transparency regarding financial processes etc. Children should elect their own representatives, and the representatives must receive education as peer leaders. • FFAV have developed and implemented a well functioning Monitoring and Evaluation System (M&E) in all clubs. All football activities are documented and reported to FFAV. FFAV carry out both agreed and unannounced visits to all clubs to check the validity of reports. • FFAV ask that all activities reinforce education, by making school a better place to be. • FFAV try to use the activities to motivate children to contribute to their local communities. • FFAV wants to be a centre of competence for children’s grassroots football for all of South East Asia, making Thua Thien Hue province the model. The rest of Vietnam has a secondary priority compared to TT Hue, and other countries in South East Asia the 3rd priority. 38 • FFAV demands full transparency in all activities related to budgets, accounts and agendas, and recruitment processes. • FFAV have set up bank accounts for all clubs, and help the club to follow FFAV financial guidelines. • FFAV try to establish exit strategies on all levels from day one, as FFAV aim to phase out when football clubs and football activities are sustainable. All clubs aim to become financially independent, through fund raising, local contributions from local authorities and membership fee schemes. 39 BUILDING THE CLUB’S ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND HUMAN RESOUCE ALLOCATION As mentioned in the previous chapters, recruiting players as well as electing the club’s BoM are based on the participants’ interest and voluntarism because all activities at grassroots football clubs are for participants’ interest and voluntarism. All members of the club BoM must own a general view, organizing and administration capacity and love for children. At first, these members cannot be qualified with the above criteria, but gradually they will overcome their weaknesses thanks to their interest, inquiring mind and others’ supports. Operating a club may be new at first and you may face some challenges; however, all problems have their own solutions. The most important thing is you should determine that the BoM is the one who give support and are the most active in children’s activities; the BoM is the model for players to follow in the study or life. BoM is also the person who always comes earlier to check the preparation, willing to share with players, helps and encourage players to make progress. In addition, BoM is the one not to put pressure on players during football matches but is the one who protect in necessary cases. The BoM of FFAV clubs includes: Head: the Headmaster or vice headmaster of the school Vice head: Representatives of the commune people’s committee/ parents association or Vice Headmaster Accountant: school accountant or directly club participating teacher Representatives of coaches: school coaches and physical teachers Representatives of Parent Association: member Representatives of players, students: 1 boy and 1 girl Representatives of Youth Union and Women Union: member 40 Sample job description of BoM Head: •Being responsible for common issues •Being responsible for appealing supports •Being responsible for signing all agreements related to club’s activities •Being the club’s contact person with other partners •Being responsible for all club’s quarter and annual meeting •Being responsible for building job description for club’s members •Being responsible for building BoM members’ capacity •Being responsible for ensuring the club’s goals and objectives •Being responsible for solving any internal and external problems or contradictions 41 Sample job description of coaches Developing division plan and action plans for the football teams Developing plans of integrating life skills education into football activities Developing regular training sessions Planning activities for organizingfootball tournaments and children’s grassroots football schools Planning to increase the number of players Training football teams Making development plan and recommendation in capacity building Developing a group of peer leaders and voluntary coaches in the club Sample job description of accountant Being responsible for the club’s expenditure and financial reports Ensuring the transparency and accuracy of the club’s financial issues Informing financial reports to the club members regularly Examining all club’s contracts or agreement Developing the club’s financial regulations and policies The club’s internal communication: aims at informing people about when and whom to communicate. The club needs an agreement on this type of communication making the club’s information consistent. Some common tools used are emails, telephones, text messages, meeting minutes, organizational structure and plans, etc. The club external communication: How do you want the others to see your club? As a FFAV club, see recommendations. Club’s values and principles Children’s club 42 Fair play club Non-competitive club Football club for boys and girls with 50% boys and 50% girls’ participation Environment for promoting learning and education The club members are aiming towards the above goals sharing the same informationin external communication. They will definitely have more awareness of club ownership and effectiveness in their communication when they are well-understood about what, for whom and why they are making efforts. Issues related to the club’s external and internal communication Every day there are many issues related to the club, some of which include knowledge, understanding, sharing, discussing, and transferring to different subjects. The information related to club activities, staff, players, and others is what club members need for updating, sharing and carrying out aiming at achieving different purposes in the club’s management. Clubs must have regulations for people to agree on the modes of communication, communication tools, communication principles as well as subjects and purposes of communication. There are many different concepts of information: Information is defined as confirmed data with a clear purpose organized and presented in a certain context which make it meaningful and relevant, and it can result in increasing understanding and reducing uncertainties. In the other word: information is the data which has connection meaning, which means it can be useful or not. In short, information is data that can be used or not. 43 Communication: Communication is a process of transferring information from one to others. There are many ways to communicate in the club affecting to regular or daily communication in the club. Here are some useful tips. Be consistent of internal and external communication channel; the information requires consistency and people’s general awareness in giving and receiving information. Club internal communication: Emails Phones Meeting minutes Manuals, guidelines Organizational structure of the club Work description of the members Club budget Club rules Work plans, action plans Calendars Reports Club external communication: Club logos and photos Emails Phones Text messages Club principles and values Club name 44 PLANNING AND MAINTAINING THE CLUB IN A GOOD WAY A normal football club is managed and implemented by the BoM and other members of the club, the manager of various football teams and a number of other official members (may be the players or other supporters); organizing football activities such as regular training sessions, friendly matches, school or club tournaments and leagues or other activities to operate the club smoothly and flexibly.Besides, there are someissues related to human resources, partnerships, fund raising, volunteers’s development and enhancing facilities, etc. The club should have a practical and accurate action plan to the above-mentioned activities. The members should be aware of their roles and responsibilities in each activity, the time as well as the coordination to perform these activities. The checklists are supposed to be seen as tools for monitoring, supporting and modifying all activities. The division and establishment of teams inside the football club are of a specific plan and situation as well as player development and activity development. Players can be divided according to age group, skills, interests, gender, class; each team can have from10 to 20 players. Planning: The activities that the club includes in their annual activity plans Planning is an important process in which the participation of all members plays a key role in the implementation; the plan can not be achieved if it is impractical and out of capacity .Time frame in a year should be noted aiming at ensuring the approved club activities to be timely and highly effective organized. Plans of football / sports club Plans of social and life skills Plas of team development Plans of regular training Plans to organize local football tournaments and leagues 45 Plans of organizing grassroots football schools Plans to call for the stakeholders’ participation in the club activities Plans for fundraising for the club Plans to invite parents to participate in the club activities Plans to develop the club’ images and identity Plans to participate in local activities Plans to increase facilities Plans to enhance the capacity of coaches, volunteers and club leaders. An overview is necessary to start planning and considering the operation of the schools, local communities, neighboring clubs to reach the most appropriate and interesting plan for the club activities Organize as many local activities as possible instead of having the participants attend the provincial activities or traveling away to participate in activities which costs more for accommodation and travel. As a result, the club expenditure will be used effectively. The implementation of the methods of the current situation and need assessment analysis will become meaningless if we do not let the participants carry out changes. Actions can be done at individual or local group level in order to achieve some changes in the organization, team or groups, e.g. football club. In this chapter, we would like to introduce some methods, implementation tools and action plan. These methods can be usedto make plans for individuals or groups. Here are some examples which can be applicable to the club. 46 1. SMART tool: a useful tool for general, practical and flexible plans S: Specific M: Measurable A: ability R: Reality T: Time 2. Matrix of plans Goal: to help the club make a simple plan for priority issues. Procedure: The instructor draws a table on a large sheet of paper (see illustration). There are many ways to carry out this step. The participants can be divided into groups whichcan work together for planning an activity or each group with each plan. The participants can work independently (write on a paper) or in groups (propose tasks). Next, the players choose the tasks to be prioritized. A general discussionmight be conducted. Task: Objective * Initiative Person in charge Time *) If time does not allow for a thorough discussion on the goals, they can be skipped.This alsodepends on the level of the participants. The facilitator can suggest some tasks like a current project or learning materials (based on their experience and knowledge), but these should be suggested carefully or else the participant will think that discussion topics have been decided in advance. The participants must see these tasks as their own action plans so as to be more motivated and determined. The facilitator must ensure that each person is responsible for presenting an initiative and setting a deadline for each case (for example: not “during the summer” but “ July 20th “). 47 3. Ten action steps Goal: to help the club to make aspecific action plan including 10 steps. Procedure: Give each person a sheet of “10 Action Steps” (or a paper sheet to make an action plan) and divide people into groups according to their level or tasks. It is important to ensure that all people join the discussion by putting a red and blue label on the table. People sitting near the red are responsible for encouraging people to discuss and ensuring each person to follow some activities in the plan. People sitting near the blue are responsible for writing an action plan for the whole group. Therest of the group records the group’s action plan. The action plan consists of the main tasks being performed in the next three months to apply the participants’ achievements from training courses into their daily life. “10 action steps” includes a description of setting up action plan and perform it. The results obtained by investigating the current situations as well as are used as the basis of an action plan. In this section, it should be specific and practical. The activity plan should be written only when members convey that want to achieve it with the clear answer of whom, how and when. The facilitator will collect the action plan from all groups. 48 We would like to develop football in all primary schools on district level What? How? Who? When? 1 Training course on “How to apply activity plan into school or sport activity” Target group: teachers of primary and secondary schools Mr. A cooper- From 01/04 to ates with DoET 10/04/2011 and Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism 2 Action plans for Specific pro- Tình + Thiện sports activities in grams to organize primary schools football activities From 15/04 to 20/04 3 Establishing and Action plans for Tình + Thiện improving football football clubs in clubs in primary Dien Hai schools in Dien Hai from 20/04 to 30/08/2011 Table of “10 action steps” Action plan From theory to practice 10 action steps to develop Organization: Name: Desires: How to carry out plan? What? How? 1 Who? When? 2 3 4 49 Useful tips: Cooperation, patience and planning are essential to develop an idea Starting from fundamental questions / ideas Precise goals result from clear ideas. It is important to spend time thinking of ideas and raising goals. Common rules for the whole group to avoid conflicts At the beginning of each meeting: What’shappenedsince the previous meeting? Should we follow the plan? What is the action plan for today? What will be done in the next meeting? At the end of each meeting: What to do? Who does it? When to do it? Note: The content of the action plan provides the facilitator with valuable information about what participants gained after training course. Therefore, this should be read carefully and plan the next activity. This information plays significant role in evaluating the success of the training. 4. Making a line plan Goal: To help the club establish a specific short term action plan including what, who and when. Procedure: Draw a line with starting and ending time in a paper, for example a month until the club organizes a tournament. Write what needs to be done to achieve the goals above the line and the time and the person in charge under the line; if possible, use different color pens to clarify the points. It is 50 important to be as specific and practical as possible and set deadline and the responsible for each task. After that, the plan is presentedto the whole group, and then the facilitator makes questions, comments and suggestions for the discussion. Action Plan Goal: to make a specific action plan in which the relationship between different activities is shown. Procedure: The facilitator writes an action in the middle of a paper like “Open the stadium every Friday night”, then ask participants to make suggestions of what to do and how to do. If groups agree with this action, write it on a cardboard or on a small piece of paper and then paste it onto the cardboard. After all activities are pasted on the paper, start connecting them together by the numbered arrows. The facilitator may ask two people to connect and the rest can help them. Note: The plan should be detailed because the more specific it is, the more convenient the management and administration are. Activities should be in line with the club’s reality. Activities must fit properly with the club capacity of human resources, finance and facilities. Do not be too ambitious! Time frame for the activities must be reasonable and consensus to the club members. Monitoring procedure is an essential step ensuring the club activities’ qual51 E.g. A SAMPLE O F THE CLUB’S PLAN Date Jan Feb Mar April May June July August Regular RT RT RT RT RT RT RT RT Sept Oct Nov Dec 1 2 3 4 Trainig A ll 5 tourna 6 ment 7 Foot Pinic 8 ball 9 RT 10 RT RT Team RT Tourn A School football Coach scho trainin Football ol g tourname course nt tournamen t at district ament 11 level: 12 primary school 13 Họp 14 RT 15 RT Footba (RT) Team team RT RT RT lạc bộ RT age Tourname Câu RT nt RT ament welco ming a A new 16 school 17 year TLTX 20 Tourn RT RT RT RT RT RT RT team RT RT A 22 Tourn 23 a- 24 ments 25 Excha of age nge Peer groups training with Traini other Training ng club Meeting to 26 27 RT RT RT RT RT 28 RT RT evaluate activity plan Football for All in Vietnam 52 RT RT 54 RT ity and necessary adjustments (if any). Monitor andevaluate activity list: Activities Person in charge Results Suggestions Regular training of football clubs Club meeting Organizing tournaments /leagues Working with sponsors Recruiting more club players Purchasing club equipments Participating in communal leagues Educating life skills at club Maintaining football pitch and other equipments .... Most clubs are located at schools; therefore, the school’s plans can be used as a reference for a practical club plan and summer is seen as an ideal time for club activities. 53 ORGANISE ACTIVITIES IN THE CLUB: REGULAR FOOTBALL TRAINING Among the club activities, regular training play the role as one of the key and most important activities of the club in which the children can experience the football or life skills games regularly and in an organized way, so their skills fluency have been formed and developed. Importantly, you should establish football teams and tasks are assigned carefully to the coaches responsible for those teams. For football activities at the grassroots level, peer leaders in the team will give muchassistance to thecoaches. Peer leaders include team leaders, and vice-captains who take turns playing thier roles so as to experience and be proud of themselves as the club members. The coaches should give out clear instructions, encourage and motivate all children in the process of carrying out exercises as well as organizing matches. The club board of management is will monitor the regular training with a small notebook documenting all notes from regular training which enable better the activity. Their regular attendance at these sessions will give encouragement to not only the coach but also the players. The club should have a regular training schedule whichgives details of the coach’s responsibilities, when and at which pitch of the club to use. If the club has many teams, this coordinationmust be reasonable and specific. 54 The coach need a lesson plan for each session and each period of time and defined functional categories applied to each stage of football activities for children. Most importantly, “Fun” is the most important in children’s football. Warming up before practicing is essential for children. However, warming up with football is recommended to offer children more opportunities to touch the ball. The key point of each training session must be prepared by the coaches because they are usually close to the players. Every week each team can have from one to three training sessions depending on the club’s actual situation. The club should also encourage the players and offer them conditions to be involved in the training sessions as much as possible if they would like to. The coach or peer leader, who is responsible for the training, is always the earliest to arrive. Equipments, water and first aid kit must be prepared before the children reach the field. The BoM and coaches need to understand the 3Ls principles in children football. Laps: do not punish the children to run laps around the pitch if they do not perform well or organize physical exercises running laps around the field. Lectures: avoid long talks, The children will get used to the activities by performing rather than listening. Lines: avoid a long line in practicing The unorganized football activities should be encouraged, as well!!! The principles of children’s football: Children’s football must fun! Children’s football is the first opportunity for children to participate in organized football activities with uniforms and playing on the pitch. However, it should be seen as a game, not a real competition. Giving children a lot of fun is more important than winning or losing. The most meaningful results the children achieve are their fun and new friends through football activities. 55 The most significant thing for children is the time to have fun with friends! Children are often attracted to football activities because this environment helps children spend time with their friends. Such relationships should be promoted because it is the basis of team spirit. If they are friends, they should be allowed to practice and play together on the same team. Ensure children to have equal playing time Sitting off the pitch does not help to develop skills, so everyone is looking forward to participating in all activities. Besides, no one is foreseen to be the best player. Everyone loves winning and scoring, but their interest and skills development is much more important than results. Therefore, children should be provided equal time to play on the field and in different positions. Teach children how to behave when winning or losing the game Children should be involved intheir football activities. All of them have their own abilities and none is considered to be the best. Therefore, whether during training or in the match, we should pay attention to the principle of equal participation. No one wants to win or lose with a gap ratio. If the adults know how to behave whenwinning or losing, then the children do too. Football is a game of team spirit in which players can lose or win. People can bring home victory and become more solid if losing. Organize many training sessions and reduce number of matches They should spend more time on regular training than is involved in the match, and be encouraged to organize their own activities. This can be done through funregulartraining session; for example match schedule can be arranged by integrating matches into tournaments. Children’s football - A flexible activity! Children have opportunities to develop basic skills such as walking, running, jumping, throwing, kickingthrough football activities; therefore, children football is a very flexible activity. Children should have opportunities to participate in some sports if they desire, and these sports activities should be coordinated for the highest efficiency. 56 Football is a game! Fun is the key factor of football; however, some coaches apply some uninteresting exercises that do not really inspire them. Several games including exercises for fun and basic skillsare recommended. Avoid the long lines in the skill exercises–provide children with equal time to play on the pitch. Work together to make football fun for children Children need encouragement and instructions to be able to develop their ability so that they can achieve progress.However; making them adapt to the whole group is necessary. The adults can do best to enhance their interest because they are ideal models of children following the adults’ actions not words. Contact FFAV if you need additional training for new coaches, or advanced training for the experienced, as well as any football exercises. The club coaches can refer documents offered by FFAV such as:DVD of football exercises, football activities outside class; DVD of functional exercises for children or visit the FFAV website: www.ffav.com.vnto search for any football references. If the clubs need their coaches to be trained, do not hesitate to contact FFAV! A sample of a lesson plan of regular training (see next page) 57 Date 3/7/2011 58 Time Pitch No 15.00-16.30 No1 – Town club Team U11 Boy – Girl Coach Tuân Note ORGANISING CLUB MEETINGS The following different meetings may be held at the club: a. Annual club meetings Club annual meeting is the most important and prioritized in the club. Agenda and time should be forwarded to the members a few weeks in advance. Only important issues mentioned in the agenda are discussed The club’s annual meeting should consider the following issues: The evaluation report of the club activities in a year The club’s account includes an audit report Budget and the next year activities Recommendations Election of the Head and members of the Club BoM b. Meetings of the club BoM c. Meetings ofthe members d. Meetings withplayers’ parents e. Thematicmeetings Notes for the meetings: Calendar Timeframe for meeting Invitation /summons Discussion Decisions Meeting minutes (see meeting minutes below) 59 An example of FFAV current club’s meeting /activities Participants &requirements: All the club’s members All members of the club BoM Players’ parents Stakeholders: Youth Union, Women Union, local authorities, sponsors, Farmer Union, Pupil Association Time: on quarterly basis Contents: - Evaluation on last activities by participatory method - Integration of life skills activities - New information/plan Results: the club’s action plan in the coming time. Sample minutes of the meeting (see next page) 60 SAMPLE MEETING MINUTES OF A FOOTBALL CLUB Club’s name: ............................................... Time: From ......................to....................................Date.................................. .......... Location: ............................................................................. Participants: (list attached, sign to receive souvenir) Contents: 1. .............................................................................................. 2. .............................................................................................. 3. ................................................................................................ 4. ................................................................................................. 5. ............................................................................................... The club’s activity plan in the coming time (expected in 3 months) Activities How When Person in charge 61 ORGANISING FUN FOOTBALL FESTIVALS (FFF): Fun Football Festival is the playground for fun football activities which attracts a lot of kids. All teams participate in many matches in a day without direct exclusion or final so children are not put under pressure of results. In FFF, all the participants are winners regardless of the results on the pitch. Each player goes home with a souvenir like a medal or a certificate of participation. Children who are members or non-members of any football club can join the festival in teams of boys or girls or both including the disabilities; all are equally treated and warmly welcomed. The concept of Fun Football Festivals in the project of “Football for All in Vietnam” is based on the football philosophy for children by the Football Association of Norway, i.e. attracting as many participants to fun football matches as possible. The preparation steps: -Define scale, objects, coordinating partners, venue(a big pitch) -Define topics of life skills integration -Staff, volunteers and detailed plan -Funding and equipments for the festival FFAV now have a guide of organizing this activity, so contact us for further instructions. 62 63 ORGANISING CHILDREN’S GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL SCHOOLS (CGFS) CGFS activity is organized by the club in order to attract as many children to participate in playing football as possible and to help them experience football in a secure environments as well as learn football skills and have fun. The children join in groups or teams in the environment created by the club. This activity is good for the club to recruit players and call for sponsorship. However, the club should have a thorough preparation and sufficient coaches to organize its activities. Players’parents are seenas humanresources to become voluntary coaches. 64 INSTRUCTIONS : •The club needs specific plan and time •Specific tasks are assigned to the coaches and life skill facilitators during the activity, usually from 3 to 5 days on annual summer holiday. •Detailed plans for all contents carried out on the pitch during the activity •Sound, voice speakers and remote control equipped •Life skills activities integration •Playing field cleaned and lined; may be with color adhesive tapes •Water, healthcare workers •A list of participants in CGFS •Meeting minutes prepared by the technical board •Enough footballs and other equipments 65 66 ORGANIZING LOCAL TOURNAMENTS AND LEAGUES A tournament/ league provides a wonderful opportunity for all club members to participate, and for parents to see their children grow up, have fun, make more friends and gain new experiences. Most importantly, children have fun and learn more useful things at these events, then return home with unforgettable memories. Some suggestions of organizing local tournaments and leagues • organize locally as much as possible. • emphasize the non competitiveness. • provide opportunities to experience and have fun not result oriented, winning or losing. • avoid direct exclusion of children players. • Referees are also coaches to support children in playing, not supposed to be strict in blowing for errors with red or yellow cards. All children need encouragement which is done by the referees. Anyone can become a referee. • simplify the regulations and emphasize the non competitiveness • arrange the schedule and pitches properly and safely for all teams • Define scale, coordinating and funding organizations. The organizing committee must be well-structured without many participants. • Recruit more volunteers for the tournament • Reduce the playing time and play in smaller pitch in order to allow players to play many matches in a day. Instructions: The compulsory conditions in FFAV program: • 50/50 boys and girls participation. Support provided for boys and girls at age group 6-12 and for only girls at age group 13-15. All disabled children are supported regardless of age and gender. 67 • Players are not recruited based on skills. • No competitiveness and pressure of winning or losing in children football; not awards but gifts for players participating. In addition, all players enjoy equal playing time (for example, each team can be divided into two small teams, then each plays a half) • Each team has a maximum of 10 players for primary and 14 for secondary schools. • No support for transportation. • No support for accommodation costs. • No knockout tournaments. • Life skills activities are carried out at the same time of the match, which are in line with life skill components of FFAV. • Ensure clean and safe playing field before, during and after the match. • Fair Play maintained during the tournaments; for example, both teams shake hands with each other before and after the game. • Activity plan and tournament/leagues regulations need the approval from NFF - FFAV 10 days before the tournament. • Minutes of the matches (see sample below) ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: • Water: at least 1 bottle per game. • Arbitration: at least 1 referee per match or more • Gifts for all children participating: at least 5,000 VND per each • Hygienic and safe playing field as well as techniques ensured (pitch lined, grass cut, football goals and nets, etc.) • Facilitator of life skill activities: at least 1 person • Banners and slogans of life skill components required and borrowed from Sub DoET 68 • Organizing committee: at least 2 people • Person in charge of first aid and security: 1 person per content • Fair Play gift • Gifts for the best player, goalkeeper and scorer • Gifts for the first and second teams REPORTS OF FOOTBALL MATCHES (applied in FFAV program for all tournaments at all levels) Name: .............................................. Organiser: ................................... Person in charge:................................ Duration: ................................. Referee (sign Match No Teams Time / Date Location & write Coach(sign & write full name) Results Team................ Team.............. ......... full name) ................ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Organizing Committee Head (sign and seal) 69 Football for All in Vietnam 72 MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE CLUB ACTIVITIES: What differences are made by developing activities? Has the club achieved itsexpected results? How to achieve the club goals and objectives in the best way? Monitoring andevaluatinghelptheclubanswerthe above questions. Hence, monitoring and evaluating are important management tools to monitor the progress and support the decision-making process. The club is able to design more effective programs and activities, and then bring greater benefits to the community or the club through a thorough review of work. Monitoringcan be defined as a function implemented continuously providing the managers and other stakeholders with signs of initial successful or unsuccessful impacts of the activities, programs and projects being deployed at the club. Monitoring helps the club monitor its achievements through regular information collection aiming at supporting the process of making decisions, ensuring the accountability and providing a basis forth evaluation and lessons learned from experience. Evaluation is the process of evaluating the whole process of a being implemented or completed activity, project or program systematically and objectively. This is done to determine the properness, performability, effectiveness, sustainability and impacts of the objectives. Evaluation process should provide reliable and useful information allowing integration of lessons learned into the decision-making process for stakeholders to support the club development in comparison of its goals and objectives. The monitoring and evaluation are important issues helping assure that the activities organized are suitable for the club goals and objectives. Simple tools can be built based on the expected values and goals. The instructions of using these tools are important to gain specific information. Additionally, these tools can help you have some suitable adjustments to the children’s needs. 70 The organizer needsto consider the information in these tools as a basis for adjustments for the next activities. The monitoring of tools in each stage biquarterlywill help improve the accuracy and reality of information and develop activities a lot. Monitoring and evaluating system is designed depending on what is being monitored and evaluated. Here are some general steps considered in the process of planning activities. Define who will participate in designing, performing, and reporting as the stakeholders’ participation help raising their thoughts and desires and ensuring their feedback to be integrated into the project design. Clarify the scale, goals, intentions, targetgroup and the budget used for evaluation and monitoring. Develop questions to see what needs to be known. The indicators which might be quantitative and / or qualitative are used as a tool to measure the results obviously, to assess the performance, or to reflect the changes. Performance indicators includes information of the process of implementing a program. Identify methods of collecting information such as materials reading, questionnaires, surveys, and interviews. Analyze and synthesize the information collected and use it to examine the new trends in the process of implementing the project (if any). Understand the findings in the process of monitoring and evaluating, give feedback and recommendations. The process of data analysis and findings research in monitoring and evaluating helps you come up with recommendations aiming to enhance effectiveness and perform medium term adjustments. Share your findings and comments with the stakeholders and decide how to use the results of the monitoring process to improve the club’s efforts. Monitoring and evaluation do not only provide the club an opportunity to review the last activities, but also can be used as a basis for constructive changes in the implementation process. 71 Tools for monitoring and evaluating the club activities considered and applied: CLUB LOGBOOK: The summary of FFAV ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The summary of the club: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Email: tieuhockimlong2ffav@yahoo.com Password: huekimlong2 Time: ....................... Activity: training/tournament/CFGS/life skills/football festival/ Duration: Content: ........................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................... Number of girls: Number of marginalized girls: Number of boys: Number of marginalized boys: Coach’s name: Volunteer/Peer leader: 72 CLUB’S HISTORY FILE (For FFAV staff including POs, PAs, CDs, Club) All information related to the club is written in this file: number of participation times, some good examples in reality, difficulties, challenges and solutions, data... Club code: 0811 Club detail: Figures: Items Statistics 2012 Total up to present Notes Number for club visits by FFAV (PO, PA, CD) Number of tournaments Number of volunteers Counterpart Funding Duration of project Number of balls received up to 2012 Other 73 FIELDTRIP DIARY: ………………………………………… Note: The latest visit will be added here. Date………......................... FFAV staff: 1. … 2. … Partners: 1. … 2. … Strengths - …. - …. Weaknesses - … - … - … Recommendations: - … - … - … Responsibility distribution: - School: - Club developer: - Project officer: Real situations: Other information: 74 Sample of equipment management at the club: LIST OF EQUIPMENTS FUNDED BY FFAV IN 2012 Quarter..... . Club name: Date for evaluation: Reasons Equipment information Condition Person No Equipments Amount Receiving date 1 Ball 40 1/3/2012Binh 2 Uniform 3 Bib 4 Cone 5 Pump 6 Goal 7 Net 8 Others Reasons in charge for lost/damaged Dispos Lost Damanged 0 0 al Ball bag Whistle The club is required to keep the damaged equipments until they are disposed. All children receiving equipments need sign their names in the list. Football for All in Vietnam 84 75 76 CLUB FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT As mentioned in Chapter I of the financial information, here are some instructions relating to the club finance in FFAVprogram: The BoM takes full responsibility for club financial management, ensuring accuracy, transparency and publicity of all funds from the project as well as donations from the community. The BoM should have monthly meetings publicizing all revenues and expenditures to the entire members and the stakeholders. The BoM needs to monitor all financial activities taking place at the club. In case of any financial irregularities exist at the club; in form the staff of the Football Association of Norway to find solutions together. Ensure all club expenses reflected in the financial reports with reasonable and legal invoices attached. Regulations and general concepts of accounting principles Consistency Methods of accounting and reporting should be consistent on all levels, from period to period, from club to club and from club to FFAV office to ensure that financial information is accurately reflected and consistent within a general report submitting to the donors. Accuracy of the information All costs must be classified and recorded depending on the operational purposes. The costs reflected in the financial reports need to be practical with reasonable and valid invoices attached. Transparency Financial reports must include the full amount of money funded from the project, the local contribution, from membership fees as well as all expenses at the club. These revenues and expenditures must be publicized monthly in front of all club members. 77 BANK ACCOUNTS To receive funds for activities from the project, each club must set up its own bank account. The account holder and the chief accountant signing on the account are fully responsible for managing the club’s bank account. Money received from the project and withdrawn for activities needs close supervision through the bank statement which certified monthly by the account holder. The accountant needs to compare the bank balances, make a monthly report, save the file and send it to the office if requested. The club is responsible a deposit of about 200,000 VND to open a bank account. This amount will be returned to the club when it is closed due to the project completion. All football clubs in the project will own a unified code as follows: FFAV – Club A; A is the club’s name. 78 FUNDING FFAV project office will transfer funds for club activities twice a year after receiving a full report from the club. The first transfer is at the beginning of January after the office receives all documents. 1. Clubs’ budget 2. An agreement signed between the main office and the club 3. Fund transfer request The second is being followed after the project office receives the following reports and documents: 1. A financial report of the first 6 months verified by the related project officer and accountant of its accuracy and regularity through the regular invoices and vouchers. 2. Budget adjustments (if any) 3. Fund transfer request Other financial resources apart from FFAV’swill be reportedby its own system, or are clearly separated to avoid confusion in comparing data with main office. BUDGET The club’s annual budget is made at the beginning of a fiscal year reflecting the detailed activity expenses in 12 months of a year. The club’s budget is made by the BoM with the club members’ supports. The budget plan is examined and signed by project officering charge before sending to the main office for transferring. The budget should be practical and flexible about the possibility of all activities as well as the related cost estimated. 79 All clubs need to make sure all the items with the costs occurred at the club have been ratified in the budget every year. To those accurred outside the approved budget, the club is responsible for finding funds for their activities. The club budget will be adjusted annually on June to ensure that the budget is prepared in accordance with its real expenses and sent to the project office at the end of June at the latest to be approved before the second budget transferred to the club. For the budget mobilized from the community and other organizations, the club takes full responsibility before Government in managing budgets and costs of the club. FILING VOUCHERS The club is responsible for keeping all financial reports, vouchers and other related documents. The financial reports and vouchers are archived chronologically according to month and fiscal year. All vouchers and financial reports need filing for at least 07 years or more according to the Government regulation. All reports and vouchers must be kept safe and out of termites or fire. PURCHASES AND EXPENSES Invoices: All costs/purchase at the club should be attached with valid invoices or vouchers. VAT invoices are required for all costs ofover 200,000 VND In case, direct payments(allowance, uniforms) is used for the individuals involved in the project, the recipients’ signature and full names are required; this must be approved by the manager. In any case, the manager is not allowed to approve for their own expenses. 80 Quotation andquotationanalysis: It is necessary to have 3 quotations from three different suppliers for the contracts of purchase costing over $200. The selected supplier will be chosen based on the quotation analysis approved by the head of the club BoM and related FFAV staff. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT All assets in the club need to be updated in the management the club’s asset book. All assets must be numbered in accordance with the project regulations. ADVANCE AND ADVANCE SETTLEMENT. Advances must be settled within 07 days after the mission / job are done Advances are made after the settlement is settled. AUDIT: All clubs are well coordinated with FFAV project in implementing the audit activities of both project and clubs. The club should facilitate the FFAV staff and accountant in examining monthly / quarterly vouchers and reports on a random basis. The clubs take full responsibility for the club’s audit results and expense accountability expenditures if required. 81 82 CHAPTER 5 LIFE SKILL EDUCATION IN A FOOTBALL CLUB 83 Definitions of life skills: Different organizations have made different definitions on life skills. The simplest and easiest remembered is the definition by The World Population Foundation (WPF): “Life skill is personal abilities that help you to cope appropriately and effectively with life’s circumstances”. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined life skills as “abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demand and challenges of everyday life.” UNICEF has a more specific definition: “Life skills are defined as psychosocial abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. They are loosely grouped into three broad categories of skills: cognitive skills for analyzing and using information, personal skills for developing personal agency and managing oneself, and inter-personal skills for communicating and interacting effectively with others. Life skills may direct our actions to ourselves and others as well as our living environment to change the surrounding environment which makes it become healthier. 84 GROUPS OF BASIS LIFE SKILLS WHICH CAN BEUSED FOR CLUB AS REFERENCE: Depending on the topics, the social and cultural context and age groups, specific life skills needed for each individual at different time and circumstances are rather different; therefore, it is impossible to make a list of necessary life skills. However, there exists some life skills related to cognitive, personal and social interaction being seen particularly important. A framework based on the proposed skills aiming at developing abilities in four areas: knowledge and judgment skills(learning to know), practical skills(learning to-do: the professional skills in a certain job for one’s living), personal skills (learning to be oneself) and interpersonal /social skills (learning to communicate and interact effectively with others). LEARNING TO KNOW–Cognitive skills The decision-making and problem-solving skills • Skills of gathering information • Evaluate future consequences of present actions of oneself and others 85 • Identify different solutions to the problem • Analyze the influence of values, attitudes, motivation of oneself and others Creative thinking contributes to the decision-making and problem-solving by enabling us to consider all different consequences of our actions or inactions. Decision-making skills help us choose the positive decisions related to our life. Problem-solving skills help us handle the difficulties which may cause stress (inhibition /depression), resulting in the disturbance of the body. Judgment thinking • Analyze the impact of coequality and media • Analyse attitudes, values, societal norms, beliefs, and other influential factors. • Identify related information and information sources. Judgment thinking helps analyze information and experience objectively. Additionally, judgment thinking help identify the factors affecting attitudes and behavior, such as the mass media or friends. LEARNING TO BE ONESELF – Personal skills Skills of enhancing internal strengths for self-control • Be aware of one self’s values / Skills of building confidence • Be aware of oneself including awareness of rights, influences, values, attitudes, strengths and weaknesses of yourself. • Skills of defining target • Skills of self-assessment / self-control Awareness of oneself includes the awareness of ourselves, personalities, strengths, weaknesses, desires and dislikes. Being ware of ourselves helps us recognize stress or pressure in order to deal with them timely. Being ware of ourselves is a prerequisite to communicate effectively as well as to sympathize with others. 86 Skills of mastering emotions • Mastering temper • Handling grief and anxiety • Coping with loss, abuse, trauma Dealing with emotions is the awareness of our emotions and others’, howemotions affect behavior and ability to deal with emotions appropriately. Skills of stress management • Managing time • Thinking positively • Relaxing techniques Dealing with stress means to realize what the causes of stress are in our lives, how stress affects us and how to reduce stress or keep it at acceptable level. For example, stress can be reduced by changing lifestyle and living environment or learn relaxing to make stress unharmful to the health. LEARNING TO LIVE WITH OTHERS–Interpersonal / social skills Communication Skills • Verbal / non-verbal communication • Active listening • Expressing feelings; giving feedback (without blaming) and getting feedback Effective communication is when we express thoughts verbally or nonverbally and appropriately to a cultural context or situations. This implies the ability to express desires and seek consultation if needed. Skills of negotiation / refusal • Negotiation and handling conflicts • Skills of assertion • Skills of refusal 87 Communication skills help us gain a positive relationship with those interacting with us; for example, making friends and maintaining a friendship are significant to the spiritual health and society. It also means keeping or severing a relationship positively. Empathy Empathy is the ability to listen and understand other people’s needs and circumstances. Empathy is the ability to visualize other people’s circumstances that might be different from ours and helps us accept them. As a result, this will help improve the social interactions between societal or racial groups. Empathy helps us to have a proper attitude with those in need of care like those living with AIDS, the mentally ill who are often stigmatized and abandoned by those might be responsible for caring and supporting them. Cooperation and group work Expressing respect for other people’s contributions and lifestyle Assess the ability and one self’s contribution to the group. Skills of Advocacy Skills of Influence and persuasion Skills of creating network and encouraging although this list has given a list of 3 separated skill groups, health-related behavior usually requires a combination of skills used simultaneously. For example, in order to avoid early pregnancy, a young woman should have decision-making skills (“what are my choices?”), value selection skills (“What is important to me? “), self-controlling skills (“ How can I protect myself / How can I achieve this “) and communication skills (“ How can I resist sexual intercourse/ How can I show my attitude to others? “). Finally, the interaction of the skills helps resulting in behavior ability. 88 Life skills education in Footballfor All in Vietnam: FFAV has been focusing on some following contents: FFAV’s values. Communication skills: includes verbal communication, gestures, attitudes, relationship establishment, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, refusing skills. Personal and environmentalhygiene: Example: littering or leaving in a bin =>use decision-making skills; wash hands with soap be for casting and impatient for delicious food=>use decision-making skills; people are not aware of personal and environmental hygiene=>use communication skills and advocacy skills Information onHIV/AIDS and gender: Example: if a person of the opposite sex asks for sexual intercourse before the defined age or to engage in smoking, drug injecting...=>Use decisionmaking skills: analyzing what is important for themselves, using the knowledge and information you have to analyze the results and consequence . Risk education Traffic safety Risk education 89 HOW TO INTEGRATE LIFE SKILLS INTO FOOTBALL ACTIVITIES? How to integrate life skills components into all football activities naturally? This depends on the project staff’s creativity and local resources. All club members should be creative to integrate them into their activity plan! Some suggestions for integrating life skill components: • Through football club regulations, • Through club regular meetings, Through regular training sessions by organizing the movement games, exercises, etc. (Note: Each session includes 2-3 game and integrated with one of the four life skills topics of FFAV. Four FFAV life skills are integrated and repeated with various games during the month) • 90 • Through football tournaments by organizing the movement games before / between / after each half / matches. • Through football tournaments by promoting fair-play prize with specific evaluation criteria (The Fair-play for well-behaved club with its respect for coaches, players, referees and organizers; 100% of children are allowed to take turns to play in all matches). • Through football tournaments by showing banners, slogans with life skill components • Through the contest “Football and Life skills”; life skills are combined with football activities in district tournaments aiming at creating a real festival for students (activities include: games, quizzes, painting, roleplaying, storytelling, etc.) • Through the training courses on life skills related to the above contents • Through a network of key life skills facilitators • Through handouts and manuals on life skills related to football activities of the project. • Annual club activities in response to “Days of Life skills” launched by FFAV and the Department of Education and Training: World Environment Day- 5/6; World HIV Day- 1/12 • Through book covers to education life skills for students • Throughlife skills bookcases. LIFE SKILL GAMES 91 Playing and having fun is a need of everybody. Participating in games enable people to feel fresh, motivated, recovered, healthy and less stressed, especially help in connecting people. In the scouting education approach, games are applied the most and considered to be vital factors. Impacts from life skill games: Games always bring fun, excitemen and concentration while playing. If selected, these games will be promoted in terms of educational communication and life skill training. Games are a way of experimental leaning – players can have fun, be active, and increase the learner autonomy in study. Through games, players can learn skills without any indolence from lectures. How to organize games: Before organizing games, the facilitator should learn the how to play and know, its regulations and objectives of the game. Gather players and organize game: the facilitator must call the attention, introduce the name of the game, how to play, how to score, and how to punish. Notes about the violating the regulations should be taken care of. Players play the game. The facilitator/organizing committee observe, monitor and adjust if necessary and recognize the scores. If the game has an its educational objective, the facilitator should raise its meaning to players after playing. Successful factors in using games for education: The facilitator ability: ability in organizing games, skills, personality and attitudes of the facilitator. 92 Regulation: the regulation is very important because it helps the games to be organized in a right and fair way. Moreover, it regulates the players discipline and helps them practicing better skills in life. How to select game: the games should be suitable to the players, location and time with its educational objectives. The game must reflect the educational topics. The educational objective of the game is important in selecting appropriate games. The game must obtain three factors: active atmosphere, skill training and thorough education. The participants: number of players, personality and their skills. Location: the location (with the participants and communication purpose) will decide the game. Time: in life skill education, game is often organized at the beginning of a session, after break or after a stress activity. The game can be used as an “ice breaker” or to transfer new knowledge or train a specific skill. Equipments needed: whether the game is simple or complicated will determine the equipments needed. Some physical games require a good amount of preparation for equipments (and need a spaceous place). How to apply game For warm up: Begin a session After the break After a stress activity Transfer educational purpose: through the game, teacher can raise some questions for the participants to explore the content of the session. Review on what they have studied. Competition among teams. 93 Experience: When applying games with educational purposes, the facilitator will have to prepare good questions which can enable learners to explore new knowledge. The facilitator should be flexible, and not result oriented, but analyze the contents withdrawn from the game. The games should not always be “moving”, sometimes it needs deep thinking to be more effective. The games must be related to football and contain 3 educational messages: football – sport – life skill and football skill development. In conclusion: Life skill component under FFAV program includes the internal football skills and other external skills. Football is a tool to integrate life skill education in natural way. “Football helps me make progress in my study is a message” 94 CHAPTER 6: FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES Good donors are those looking for something much more than their image at events! 95 The grassroots footballclub activity is not for professionalfootball purposes; it mainly focuses on facilitating marginalized children to be happy and to enable them to play football in a safe and non competitive environment. Football activities contain key values of fun and challenges; they do not aim to create any stars and limit any talent development. Therefore, the grassroots football clubs do not have any enormous amount of money gained from transferring players or being funded by great tournaments but from contributions of those sharing the same interest, passion and objectives. However, the club also needs funds to organize its activities, upgrade facilities and football equipmentsfor the football club. Without funding, the club will meet with difficulties. So what should the club do to get funding for its basic activities? - Membership fee - Fund raising - Local community’s contribution and support - Local authority’s supports - Provincial Football Association’s support? - Other activities... Donation is a two way process, in which donors get something from your club and your club receives supports from them. This seems a bit complicated but it is important to remember that the success of funding is based on mutually happy relationship. Donors require more than their images and brand name being exposed at the events. Each club should publicize what they offer to their donors and what they can get. The more impressive the club’s image is, the more attractive it is to the donors. The “values” that the club should be identified to negotiate with donors must be identified. A list of conditions should be prepared in advance; an interesting presentation may be more persuasive to the donors. 96 Ways of approaching donors Calling sponsorship opportunity by showing a positive image of the club Fund raising is a competitive environment in which your opportunity is not available without good preparation. Therefore, how to show the club’s image and information with them? - Assign an individual to coordinate fund raising activities and promote the club’s image - Compile and agree on a list of potential donors - Keep the information of the media appearance at the club - Understand the advantages of donors and show them the benefits that the club can give back - Consider opportunities - Agree in written documents on all funding areas for the Club - Be ready the funding plans - Be flexible - Be positive and understand the benefits that the donors can give to the club - An appreciation towards not only money but also any services will be presented to the donors. In summary: Donation is a vital part of the promotion and development of a football club Remember that donation is a way to set up partnership relation between the clubs and accompany or an organization or individuals Club must always produce things as promised 97 98 CHAPTER 7: BECOME A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER 99 Football family is the largest family in the world and a network of families all over the world is formed through football organizations. Line of football is mentioned in a football description of a large family including from individual players, the team to the clubs at provincial/regional, and national, continental and global level. Line of football: Players - team - club - area - provincial / regional- national – continental FIFA Football line in Vietnam: Players - team – club- provincial Football Association / Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism - Football Federation of Vietnam - Southeast Asian Football Association – Asia Football Association - FIFA Football line in Norway: Players – team – club - Provincial Football Association - National Football Association - European Football Association - FIFA This is to emphasize our global football family, and also help the newly formed clubs define which family they belong to. A football club established in primary schools is encouraged to become an open community club for all people, for those interested in football based on their interest rather than skills. When all of these values are focused, we can maximize the recruitment of players, then we may have more talent in football. A community football club is considered to be an official member in the national football family and become a member of the global football family. Become a member of the Vietnam Football Federation? 100 Become a good forum for promoting education? Become a good forum for exchanging and sharing ideas? Is the venue to organize local league and to participate in the annual local league? Is the center of the local football tournament? Is the member of the alliance of the local clubs? The decision depends on you! 101 102 CHAPTER 8: CLUB DEVELOPMENT 103 Have you and your club ever been displeased with your current situation and think that it needs more players, more girls participation, more activities, and to reduce the unnecessary competitiveness in the activities, to strengthen life skills activities, to have more human resources or to increase fundraising activities? Be open and invite all members to sit together and evaluate the club actualities as well as prioritize the activities to develop your club. Football for all in Vietnam, at the moment, is promoting three types of football club: a regular club, a community club and a model one. Each club has different requirements and criteria which FFAV aims for their development; the newly established clubs need to meet the common criteria, but the clubs which have been operated over the years need to strive for being community clubs or model clubs. The criteria are the requirements from the project; however, in reality we encourage the clubs to have their own developing strategies. For example, some clubs aims to increase more girl players than boys; others want to strengthen groups of peer leaders, the rest focuses on life skill education, etc. Criteria of a regular club: 1. Non competitive 2. Age: boys and girls aged 13 to 15, and disabled children, if possible 3. Equal participation rate: 50% boys - 50% girls 4. Club must divide players into teams, 10 players per team (same gender) 5. Minimum 15 - 20% of students in school must participate, with a minimum of 80 players per club 6. No selection based on skills 7. Human resources: - Coach: relevant to club members (1 coach per 40 players per session) - Board of management: representatives of all stakeholders including (school, parents, players, Youth Union, Women Union, etc.) 104 8. Pitch is ensured to be: a. safe to play football b. available for children to use 9. Organize at least 2- 3 tournaments per year including a club tournament and friendship tournaments for different participants (one tournament with at least 8 teams: 4 boy teams + 4 girl teams) 10. Organize at least one activity of children’s grassroots football school per year 11. Organize quarterly club meetings 12. Club should have its own fund. Membershipis raised based on players’ volunteerism. Those who can’t afford membership fee, the club is not allowed to inform to all club members. 13. Have strategies to attract the local and social community participating in club as well as its activities 14. Ensure equal playing time for all players: regular training and during match 15. Develop annual activity plan. 16. Regular training: at least 2 sessions per week 17. Annual activity plan for life skills activities: a. Integrating life skill components into football activities and other club activities b. Organize “Life skills” day launched by FFAV and Department of Education and Training of Thua Thien Hue in 2011 including: a. World Environment Day b. World Day against AIDS 18.Audit and annual financial reports 19. Ensure adequate equipments for football training, tournaments and other activities. 105 Criteria of a community club: 1. All criteria of a common club included 2. Open for all (i.e. not only for players at school), for boys and girls aged 6 – 15 and disabled children, if possible. Criteria of a model club: 1. All criteria of a common club included. 2. A”Football for All” club (open for all) includes boys and girls aged 6 to 12, and girls aged 13 to 15, and disabled children, if possible 3. Must apply the program, “‘Friendly Schools, active Students” asmuch as possible, especially life skills. 4. Number of club members 5.No waiting list for children wanting to be club members 6. Minimum of 30% of students in school must participate 7. Able to share ways of developing model clubs with other clubs 8. Sufficient necessary facilities 9.Pitch/Playing field/ schoolyard are ensured to be safe to play football and available for children to use. 10. Minimum 1 football per 2 players 11. Other equipments are the same as the regular club 12. Plan to recruit volunteers: parents, Youth Union and club members - the BoM members play active role in appealing volunteers 13. Organize football activities for children outside the club 14. At least one tournament per year 15. Life skills activities integrated into all club activities 106 There are many ways helping clubs monitor and build activity plans for the club development. It is recommended to use participatory methods in all discussions and reach an agreement in all activity plans. We would like to introduce methods of reflecting actualities and building activity plans for club development. CURRENT SITUATION REFLECTION In this example, you will find the method useful for the participants to reflect the situation of the club right now. Through this method, you will have a general picture of what makes people happy and what makes them feel unhappy. This result can be used to draw a general picture of the situation now, or you can focus on a specific area. This section is very important if you want to include additional planning. The current situation should be defined before setting goals for the future. Giving opinions by secret voting Goal: to show a general view of participants’ ideas about club development in the future. Procedure: Ask the group to consider a statement; for example: “The club has been well- prepared for the future.” The selection of statements should be connected to a specific area for each group. For example, teachers and coaches for teenagers in Vietnam, and then another statement like “Teenagers have participated in building their activities at school and in football.” More importantly, the facilitator must give further explanation to the statement to make sure everyone understands its meaning. It is written on a separate sheet of paper (a ready-made paper or cut from a A3 paper sheet), then fixed on the flip chart or on the wall like this; The club has been well-prepared for the future. ++ + - -- Each person is given a small piece of paper and a pencil to prepare for 107 secret voting. Importantly, the participants are not allowed to see other votes on the board which should be turned over to keep the votes secret. The facilitator waits until everyone has made their decisions, and then turns the board over. Each participant takes turn to stick their votes on the board without discussing with others. None of these votes is right or wrong because each participant has their own opinion. The votes for ++ show that voters strongly agree with the given statement (the club has been well-prepared for the future). The votes for + show that voters partly agree with the statement. The ones for – mean disagreement, -- means strongly disagree. This information should be presented to the participants before voting. The facilitator can make an example of voting at first (of course this vote is invalid). This also helps ensure that no one can see the votes’ position. After people finish voting, the table will be turned round to show the results which do not have any impact on the rest of the procedure. The facilitator must not organize any discussions to see how the club performs the tasks, for example. The results just show the participants’ views about their own club in the near future. ____________ Note: Do not let people change your mind they have reached the board and see others ‘votes; each person must write + +, +, - or -- on their paper before going to the board. Giving Opinions Based On Values Goal: To help people be more aware of a specific problem through interesting and ebullient discussions. Procedure: Divide participants into groups of 4-7. One person will say the statement loudly, for example “It is important that the coach must remember all participants’ names.” This person will decide that they strongly agree, partly agree, disagree or strongly disagree with the statement. After that, the others in the group give their opinions and decide where to put the statements in the following table. Strongly agree Disagree 108 Partly agree Strongly disagree For example, some other statements are: 1. The coach’s behavior inside or outside of the pitch does not affect kids 2. It does not matter whether for the coach to is be negative or positive, if they are interested in children 3. All players must have the same exercises regardless of their level 4. A coach or a commander is seen as a role model for teenagers 5. Coaches should not smoke or drink alcohol when participating in all activities for children 6. Parents are the key resource in children football 7. The coach is considered to have a more important role than parents 8. Sympathy and mutual understanding may be seen through audio and visual sources. 9. Parents should not be too ambitious about their children 10. It is very important for the coach to remember all the participants ‘names 11. Our club is non- competitive. The club can learn its strengths as well as its weaknesses which need improving in the coming time based on the above evaluation and opinions. As a result, a specific activity plan aiming at improving it will be carried out to help the club more developed. Note: Each club should have a plan for its development The more people involved in the planning, the better it is; this reflects the participation of all stakeholders. Think of the aspects in which clubs are interested Define objectives for the coming time Non- competitive factors 109 Monitoring and evaluation stage by stage Encourage and motivate members to participate in the implementation Before making the development plan, the club needs to do the following: • Understand the club’ s level • Define what the club would like to achieve • Define implementation methods The club can prioritize the significant issues for their changes or development in the coming time from these above results. For example, in defining actualities, the club realizes that they need 20 more players in three months. Therefore, a short-term action plan of 2-3months is made. The club remembers that all members should reach an agreement on building this action plan. For instance, increasing the number of female players: Activities Performing Informing school A about club players recruitment Setting up criteria Organizing a football Recruiting 20 U11 tournament for stufemale players for dents at school A Making sample for the club voluntary register. Receiving list of membership Publicizing new members of the club Time 1.3.2012 Person in charge Phan Văn C 1.3.2012 15.3.20122 Phan Văn C Nguyễn Văn B 28.2.2012 Nguyễn Văn B 20.3.2012 Nguyễn Văn B 31.3.2012 Head of BoM Experience: start this process by discussing the positive thing of the club and club members, then ideas and interests should be discussed. Players are centers for the club to aim at. 110 CONCLUSION Football is one of the most interesting and wonderful games. Participation in administrating a grassroots football club gives people lots of fun and a great feeling of success at the center of which are the children.. Hopefully this little handbook will provide you with useful information and ideas for your own club. In summary: • There are many reasons for the establishment of a club • Like other jobs, the first step is often difficult, but there are many individuals and organizations willing to support you • Get in touch with support organizations such as regional football association, schools, local community, FFAV to get support. • Keep your club running smoothly • Look for donors and supports for the club and have a strategy to keep them as long as possible • Build a good budget and follow its framework as well as the financial resources of the club • In case of any problems, do not hesitate to contact for supports • Volunteers are potential, so look for them, encourage and help them • Keep the fire • Make the club develop, the club ownership belongs to you We do hope this handbook offers you some useful advice and guidance on how to build and run a grassroots football club. Additionally, we also hope that the efforts and ideas will make football activities more fun and non competitive. There is the potential for thousands of boys and girls to enjoy the ball and you yourself can also experience this great joy. The best wishes for you all in the future. We hope to receive your comments. FOOTBALL FOR ALL IN VIETNAM 111 REFERENCES: 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. FFAV financial regulations, cost norm 2012 How to organize children’s grassroots football schools How to train coaches Children football Football activities outside class Sample of monitoring FFAVactivities Running a Club (Hodder Arnold) www.s2s.net (account needed) All comments are warmly welcomed, please send to:ffav@ffav.com.vn; chung@ffav.com.vn; Phone: +8454 3 825 325; +84 98 262 1008 Add: VNPT building, 3rd Floor, 51 Hai Ba Trung, Hue city, Vietnam Play football, having fun, learn life skills!!! 112 113
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