Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) officials and 11 Pacific Island project managers have attended a three-day football development workshop taking place at the ASC in Canberra from 27–29 June. The Australian Government through AusAID and ASC supports and funds the delivery of Just Play, a junior football development program in Pacific communities.

The workshop provided an opportunity to upskill Just Play project managers and share ideas and expertise about the delivery of the football development program. The Just Play program allows children aged 6–12 years to learn about football skills in an inclusive, enjoyable and positive school community setting. The Australian Government’s support for the Just Play program has a key focus on gender inclusion and education benefits in the Pacific nations of Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands and Solomon Islands.

Senior Sport for Development consultant, Martin Roberts and International Sport for Development administration manager, Lucy Stewart treated the Just Play project managers to an exclusive tour of the AIS facilities as well as an opportunity to view a demonstration of AASC’s diverse range of sporting activities for children. The group also attended a training session of Capital Football’s Skill Acquisition Squad, an elite under-10 program, which provided a chance to see some of the Australia’s best 9 and 10 year old footballers in action.

Just Play is a key initiative of the ASC managed Pacific Sports Partnerships (PSP) Program. The PSP is a partnership between the Australian Government, Football Federation Australia and the Oceania Football Confederation.

‘A key aim of the PSP is to promote collaboration between Australian and Pacific sports organisations to strengthen grassroots sports activities in Pacific communities and improve participation pathways for players, administrators, coaches and officials,’ Roberts said.

‘The PSP is funded by our partner agency, AusAID and has a focus on the use of sport as a tool to deliver identified development outcomes in Pacific communities.’

Roberts said that the regional partnership with football represented a positive engagement of sporting organisations, working together with developing countries to benefit young people and strengthen communities.

Since 2009, the partnership has delivered the six-week football and social development program to 41,722 boys and girls aged 6–12 years, helped train 693 teachers and community members. It has also established an average female participation rate of 41 per cent in many Pacific communities where their involvement in sport activity is traditionally low or absent.