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GFF boss Forde says Ensemble Football Program to revolutionize youth soccer
By Clifton Ross
Kaieteur Sports – Guyana Football Federation (GFF) president Wayne Forde, yesterday commissioned what he called a new era in football, following the historic launch of their Development Ensemble Youth Program which kicked off at the National Training Center, Providence.
The program, which is the foundation for the GFF’s plans for the remainder of the calendar year, as it relates to growth and development from the Under-13 to U-17 levels, has found a strong partner in FIFA who have thrown their full support behind the countrywide program.
GFF President, Wayne Forde
Forde, during his feature address said the ensemble program is set to span across nine associations, signaling growth and refinement which is necessary for the growth of the sport.
The GFF boss said the system was created to sync with the best model for football development, which according to Forde is a welcoming sign of a successful new era.
He explained that the act is a huge part of expansion which is geared towards grooming safer and better for kids.
“Child safety is of paramount importance in every aspect” said Forde, who added that the implementation of workshops was conducted with key stakeholders.
He noted that the GFF’s journey has not been without challenges, adding that struggles to maintain a youth structure of this magnitude, finances, shortage of playing facilities among other areas were hurdles they have since managed to overcome.
Forde believed that the vision of GFF would have not become a reality were it not for the support of FIFA.
GFF Technical Manager, Bryan Joseph
The GFF boss said the program is not a one off event, but a permanent fixture for youth football which is a huge benefit of FIFA’s backing.
In closing, Forde thanked FIFA, GFF, the coaches, players and all those who believed in the endeavor; which now targets some 4500 young men from across more than 1000 clubs in Guyana.
GFF Technical Manager Bryan Joseph gave a bit of in-depth insight into the operations. He explained that the youth league over the next four years will be a countrywide program.
He outlined that through the first year of the program a 20 team format will be divided into 4 groups.
The competitions will be used as international preparations, for upcoming events like the U14 Boys’ series in Dominican Republic as well as the National U15 lads who will be playing in a FIFA series.
From August to November the U-17 National series will kick off, with December and January being used as preparations for the Boys FIFA U-17 competition.
The U-13 format will be played on a 9v9 cross-field format on Saturdays, with the U-15’s playing Sundays.
Joseph said the overall goal is to have a more transparent national selection process with additional structure for the game, while strengthening the visibility of football in Guyana.
Also, some 40 newly trained FIFA referees will play a huge role in the youth program, which further adds to the growth of coaching and by extension the overall quality of football from the grassroots/youth levels.
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