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("Les Petits Aigles Ligue du Football")
The Little Eagles Football League is a project developed by UCONN graduate Robbie Steller and Fairfield University senior Stephanie Ortiz. Their shared passion for soccer, youth and community development led to their collaboration with African Sky.
In an effort to continue African Sky's mission to build friendships between the US and Malian communities, "Les Petits Aigles Ligue du Football" (The Little Eagles Football League) aims to promote learning outside the classroom through a youth soccer league that would include, at its core, education and sports programming for boys and girls in the community.
Under the direction of Steller, the Little Eagles Football League project has three primary goals:
1. Create a structured youth soccer teams in Dissan and surrounding villages in need.
2. Create clinics in an effort to promote education and its importance.
3. The Little Eagles Football League will make its debut in Dissan, January 2011.
The Vision:
Association Football (soccer) is widely regarded as the most popular sport in the world. In every region, football is played, watched and adored by millions of people, regardless of race, age, gender or religion. Football fans are known for their fervor, passion, and commitment to the game, and Mali, West Africa is no exception. Whether there is a National team game at the Stade 26 Mars or a group of local children gathered on a dirt clearing, Football is intimately woven into the fabric of Malian culture, making it a perfect tool to promote change and bring hope to underprivileged communities in rural Mali.
"Les Petits Aigles Ligue du Football" was established in 2009 in order to create a structured youth soccer league in regions receiving new African Sky schools this year. Each school will have a team, and participating teams will have the opportunity to engage in scheduled matches against other student teams in both league and tournament formats. Although a profound emphasis is placed on the soccer element of this project, our main objective is to encourage education and foster friendships between youth and the community.
Education Values:
"Les Petits Aigles Ligue du Football" promotes education at its core, and participants will be given opportunities to develop critical skills on and off the playing field. From technical soccer clinics to special activities and classes, the Little Eagles Football League promotes literacy, math and budgeting, family health, entrepreneurship, and service. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn basic English skills.
- Class and special event topics/themes include: HIV/AIDS awareness, gender issues, opportunity through education, entrepreneurship, teamwork, and English language development
- Additional League activities may include: dances, field trips to professional soccer games, community games, tournaments, and community service projects
- All clinics, lectures, information sessions and activities are open to the participant's entire community
Short Term Goals: December 2009 - March 2011
- Establish one soccer team per African Sky school to participate in an annual League beginning in January 2011
- The League will follow a seasonal schedule that begins in January and finishes in March
- Organize Opening and Closing tournaments at the beginning and end of the season
- This will include an award ceremony/trophy presentation
- All participants will receive some form of recognition by the league
- Obtain soccer equipment and create a schedule of games and practices
- Find community volunteers to work within the League
- Create Clinics and Educational programs
- Obtain funding through sponsorships, fundraising and/or grants
- Establish contact with local and international soccer organizations and invite them to participate with the program
- Make television broadcasts of international soccer games more accessible
- Establish contact with the Mali National Football Team (Federacion Maliene du Football)
Long term goals: 2011-2015
- Start rural and urban soccer programs for disadvantaged youth in the US and other countries, including African Sky's Kenya location
- Expand league to include additional age groups
- Obtain a major sponsor or create a sustainable funding source
- Host "friendly" games between communities and teams outside the league
- Establish connections with youth soccer leagues around the world
- Host International youth tournaments
- Bring in athletes, teachers and health care professionals (local and international) to schools as volunteers
- Expand educational programming
Links
www.facebook.com/littleeaglesfootball
www.causes.com/littleeaglesfootball
http://littleeaglesfootball.blogspot.com
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