CONCACAF funds grass roots footy

(CNS): The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has announced a new programme which provides grants to Member Associations for youth development programs across the Confederation in an effort to build the foundation for a long-lasting legacy of support.  “Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF” boasts a budget of $4.1 million or 2013 and the goal is to fund grassroots development in each of the 41 member countries across the region. Member Associations may apply for grants to fund self-directed grassroots development initiatives, with the Confederation providing up to $100,000 dollars for each individual project.

“The main goal of every initiative conceived at today’s CONCACAF is to continue to empower the region through individual member development, by means of a sustainable strategy that will leave a positive and permanent imprint on our sport and region as a whole,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “This program, along with existing FIFA development resources and other developmental aspects addressed specifically through CONCACAF’s integral development program, helps provide a wide variety of opportunities for all Member Associations in our Confederation.”

A well-defined and meticulous follow-up process, spearheaded by CONCACAF’s Development Department, will assure that the program achieves lasting and sustainable impact.

In the larger, holistic context of development, officials said the Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF projects will target youth and grassroots initiatives at the Member Association level, with the aim of addressing needs specific to each CONCACAF Member. These resources assure the availability of funding for one sector of the Confederation’s multi-faceted development plan, which also includes distinct emphasis on coaching licensing, marketing development, broader grassroots programming, and general coordination with broader FIFA development initiatives.

Central to the design of the Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF template are the follow-up and sustainability elements incorporated into the plan, assuring that funding will go a long way towards building a brighter future for the associations that take part in the program.
The program has kicked off with a series of promising grants to over a dozen Member Associations that have already submitted proposals to CONCACAF, and been approved after a thorough evaluation process by the Development Department. The funds will be used for grassroots programming such as development of youth leagues and youth coaching initiatives in previously hard to reach or underserved areas of CONCACAF member states.

President Webb visited St. Kitts and Nevis on Saturday, June 22, where he personally delivered the first official check funding yet another well-designed Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF project, set to be implemented in support of that Member Association’s soccer-playing youth.