CR1 Project - Free football programme for Rotorua children
The CR1 Project has been launched in Rotorua: a free 20-week football development programme for tamariki aged 3 to 13.
Now in week 6, the programme has around 40 tamariki attending, with numbers increasing each week. Organiser Aaron Lawrence from Ngongotaha AFC says that all are welcome to come along and give football a go – he would love to see 100 kids every Saturday morning at 9am at Tamarahi Reserve in Stembridge Road over the summer months.
Aaron is passionate about removing the barriers to participation in football, and creating an opportunity for Rotorua tamariki to try a sport they might otherwise miss out on. Aaron says the barriers to organised sport are often financial – the cost of registration fees, uniform, boots and shinpads plus travel adds up, especially for a family with multiple children.
CR1 have teamed up with local organisation Love Soup Rotorua, who are dedicated to keeping food out of landfills. Snacks are available before the training, and a meal after, and whānau are welcome to take any extra food home.
Rotorua Community Clothing Exchange is another partner, getting clothing, shinpads, boots and water bottles to those who don’t have them.
The programme also has a free bus service, picking up kids & their caregivers from various points in Rotorua.
Many of the children have not played football before, and sessions are game based, including general movement like tag, as well as games focusing on passing, shooting, and dribbling. Sessions always include small-sided games. The training is based on a football development framework, with volunteer coaches from the community.
He emphasises that this is a programme for all kids in the community – he says there are no requirements at all, outside of being 3-13 years old. He sees the initiative as being about more than just football. It’s about creating friendships, building character, supporting families and creating community.
Aaron says his focus has been on reaching tamariki and their families who are not currently playing football, using partnerships with local organisations and community groups.
Endorsement from Spirit of Football
Spirit of Football, a Germany-based non-profit, is dedicated to promoting a very special ball as the 'star of the beautiful game'. They call it 'The Ball'.
An initiative akin to the Olympic torch, The Ball travels the world connecting with events and initiatives that reveals the ability of football to transcend boundaries, borders and stereotypes. Themes include themes gender equality, climate change, sustainability, and leadership development.
The CR1 project is the first football programme in the Oceania Confederation to be endorsed by the Spirit of Football.
Spirit of Football Director, Andrew Aris, is planning to visit Rotorua in January 2025 with a very special CR1 Ball.
Football For All
WaiBOP Football and Football For All ran a programme in Rotorua in 2024 in partnership with Ngongotaha AFC, as a pilot for CR1.
The 2024 Football For All project looked at the barriers to entry – including transport, gear (football boots, socks, training gear), and supported tamariki from a Kāinga Ora community in central Rotorua.
The project enabled a team of local tamariki to form a team and enter in a local Rotorua junior league.
Support from Football For All provided funding for a coach for the team, who spent an hour a week in a training session with the kids, as well as game day on a Saturday. Coach Hayden Chapman is a local player who attends Rotorua Boys High and plays for Ngongotaha AFC.
The initiative also provided support for a minivan for transport to and from training and games, and kit was provided for the players.
The Football For All programme is delivered in partnership between WaiBOP Football, Capital Football and the Wellington Phoenix, has the primary aim of fostering inclusion, participation and hauora by using football as a vehicle. A significant partnership with funder New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) for the next three years, along with continued support from Football For All funders including the Lloyd Morrison Trust, Up Foundation, New Balance, and New Zealand Police, the programme is estimating to remove barriers for just shy of 8,000 rangatahi and tamariki across the country to access some form of football or futsal.
More Information
Article added: Wednesday 20 November 2024
