Inspired by the recent visit of former Premier League star defender Steven Taylor, Motherwell Junior School is determined to win this year’s FUFA Primary Schools Football Championships, popularly known as ‘ODILO’.
The Mutungo-based school that also runs the Motherwell Soccer Academy will field a strong team that will challenge for honours in the fifth edition of the event later this year.
According to David Kamanzi, the head coach of the academy,
The team has started early preparations for the different tournaments and all is well with his side. “We are preparing for different events, including the ODILO championships and other primary school and academy competitions that we might be invited for.” “The children are responding well to the training and we only urge parents to continue entrusting us with their children so that we can continue to prepare them through our weekend and holiday programs and the daily workouts after classes,” Kamanzi said.
Taylor, an English former professional foothaller with Newcastle United Football Club recently visited Motherwell Sports Academy. He expressed delight to work with the Ugandan academy. Desire Kato one of the pupils in P.7. is already dreaming big and wants to ear from foothall in the future. “1 admire Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandez. Football has helped me deveiop my skills and l also perform well in class, “Kato said. Another enthusiastic girl at the academy Kusasira a striker says she is an admirer of Alejandro Gamacho
The idea to start the Motherwell Sports Academy was mooted early this year and the goal was to create a lasti ng legacy by using the power of sports to help our communiti es for good causes. We promote childhood educati on based on values, healthy habits, and positi ve atti tudes. This, we believe, will help youngsters grow using sports as a tool for moti vati on and learning.
The Motherwell Sports Academy, which will be a fundraising and grant-based organizati on, will use the power of sports and good will of potenti al partners to inspire and support youth within our community. Motherwell’s philosophy of giving youth a chance and giving them the skills to thrive in life has already been refl ected in our success over the years. The academy will fund the in-
sti tutes’ teams and identi fy projects which will help young people and make a unique diff erence to their lives. The success of this foundati on will be achieved with the support and generosity of potenti al sponsors /partners. Every year, our various teams, staff and supporters will get involved in a range of acti viti es to raise awareness about the Foundati on and its future projects.
There are many Uganda children with talent but due to the belief of some parents that sports is a waste of time let their children miss out on developing their talents.
Accordingly many Ugandan children have encountered opposition on from their parents, relatives or guardians for pursuing their sports passions, forcing them to search for better life on the streets of Kampala, which exposes them to a whole new set of risks.
Here in the Kampala residence of Mutungo Bina, there are several children in such a high-risk state. They are vulnerable to getting involved in criminal activity, which is on the rise in residences in the city like Bina, if they are not given a way out through initiatives such as soccer academies with a social outreach focus.
MKSA was started as a move to reach out to the disadvantaged children and youth, especially those living on the streets. MKSA aim is to restore hope, dignity and self-confi dence through the teaching of life skills and sports.
To date MKSA has a total of 78 parti cipants, 18 having enrolled from the community with the rest taken from the Motherwell Schools. The
programmes at the academy include, among others, educati on and sports, health and sports, health care and economic empowerment.