Moldova

Open Fun Football Schools (OFFS) was introduced for the first time to Moldova in 2006.

CCPA’s project OFFS helps Moldova after the war conflicts in 1992 between Transnistrian region and Moldova, by using the virtue of football to prove the unity of people from all regions of the country possible, irrespective of religious, political, racial, sexual and national background.
From 2006 – 2009 near 70 Open Fun Football Schools has been implemented comprising more than 15 000 boys and girls from 6-11 years old. Open Fun Football Schools has further trained 1200 voluntary leaders, coaches, parents and assistants from throughout Moldova.

 

From 2006-2009 our central office OFFS Moldova has implemented
    * 70   Open Fun Football Schools
    * 14   street sport activities
    * 13   projects – “Step by Step”, project for children from kindergarten
    * 8     Novo Nordisk Cups and football tournaments for children

 

These projects has been highly successful and each year involving about 3000 boys and girls. During the 24-30 August 2009 the group of instructors crossed over 3000 km throughout Moldova. By the end of each activity all the participants were presented with souvenirs. We succeeded in proving that football is borderless and this is accounted for the fact that during the training sessions leaded by the instructors, children of different nationalities played together and felt great. By means of this project, the children established friendly relationships.

 

It was a historical moment when the OFFS branch in Moldova arranged the first Open Fun Football School in Ukraine in cooperation with local coaches and leaders in Socireni from 24 - 28. August 2009. Socireni is situated near the boarder and children from Ocnita in Moldova participated in the school activities. This was a very important event in 2009 for Moldova and especially for Ukraine.

 

The Open Fun Football Schools has amongst others been funded by UEFA to use the promotion of grassroots football as vehicle to stimulate social cohesion and peaceful co-existence in Moldova. Further the governments of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland has supported Open Fun Football Schools as part of their Stability Pact Initiative to encourage peace and stability through capacity building of civil society organizations and cross border collaboration. OFFS Moldova is actively working with FA of Moldova, football clubs, Private companies, Novo Nordisk, municipalities and SIDA in Moldova.

 

At all the Open Fun Football Schools representatives from the local municipality governments attended the opening ceremonies to welcome the coaches and players. It was an excellent opportunity for the dignitaries to witness the program and the positive effects it had on the young participants. With the help of the Football Federation and Open Fun Football schools some of the clubs were able to secure support for their youth programs in the form of subsidized or free electricity and water. It makes political sense to support the clubs youth programs when the parents are voters in local elections and it’s also important to note that sporting networks can reach and engage all areas of local communities.

 

CCPAs Open Fun Football school in Moldova has a vision to further support and funding for football related programs in this region of Europe, as the Football Association is the only institution that successfully bridges the divide between Tranistria and Moldova. The game provides an opportunity for unity and collaboration, as the players are able to share common interests that truly transcend cultural, ethnic, political and religious backgrounds.

 

The games laws, coaching and playing protocol are universal and life skills such as communication; common interests and the importance of teamwork and fair play are promoted and adopted by its participants.
And most important that CCPAs Open Fun Football school activities contains a wide variety of different positive values, such as: healthy life style, safe and healthy environment, improvement of the sport lifestyle and supporter behaviour, etc.

CCPAs Open Fun Football Schools in Moldova works closely with FA of Moldova, especially with the department of Grassroots Department, Football Association of Women Football (all women instructors OFFS Moldova work, play, referee, coach in the women football) Federal School for Coaches (every year held the C - License Course for local coaches throughout Moldova). However, CCPA /OFFS Moldova is still very much dependant on international donors' money and support.

Our female coaches provided ‘positive role models’ to the hundreds of girls who attended the football schools and inspiring them to take up the game. The Football Federation is now looking to invest more resources into the woman’s game and all the female coaches involved in our project.

 

Nearly 30% of the participants at the football school were young females. There is still a lot of resistance amongst certain communities to the woman’s game but many acknowledged that there is need to implement female programs within the structures of the clubs. Open Fun Football School along with the Federation was able to demonstrate the high level of skill and motivation amongst the female players, coaches and bring together gender groups who at an early age have limited contact. One of the main goals of our country is to attract girls into women's football.

 

1. To keep and respect the basic principles of the Open Fun Football Schools.
2. To attract more numbers of volunteers, coaches, sponsors in OFFS family.
3.  Expansion of geography OFFS Moldova (holding Open Fun Football School in new  regions of Moldova, thereby expanding geography)
4. To attract more girls into women's football by virtue of OFFS.
5. To continue educational programs with TA of Moldova, C license.