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Showing posts with the label Youth Football

Unleashing Talent: The Singapore Youth League (SYL) Set To Revolutionize Singaporean Football

(The content of this post is based on the media release announcing the official launch of the Singapore Youth League (SYL), and all the images featured in this blog post are credited to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).) Co-organised by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Sport Singapore (SportSG) , the highly anticipated Singapore Youth League (SYL) is set to kick off on the 24th of February following its official launch Tuesday evening (6/2) at the National Stadium. STRUCTURE OF THE SYL The SYL, an initiative under the Unleash the Roar! (UTR!) national football project is the country’s first-ever nationwide elite youth football competition and is set to feature over 200 registered teams from 52 clubs and academies across various age groups. Singapore Youth League (SYL) was officially launched on the 6th of February Cater to six age groups (Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17) and open to both boys and girls, the matches will be play

Singapore Football And Children's Games: Open Space Harmony

Singapore is a vibrant city that pulsates with life, a city where heritage and modernity intertwine seamlessly. Amidst its bustling streets and skyscrapers, the importance of open spaces for children's games, particularly in the realm of football, plays a pivotal role in shaping not only individual development but also fostering community cohesion and harmony. The eight (8) points in the following paragraphs will illustrate why playing in open spaces like void decks is important to a child's development. Kids playing football in an open space (AI-generated image) 1. SINGAPORE FOOTBALL: PRESERVING HERITAGE THROUGH PLAY Football in Singapore isn't merely a sport; it's a part of the nation's soul. From the nostalgic kampung days to modern pitches, football holds a special place in our hearts. It is a sport that unites generations, preserving our cultural heritage through the passion and spirit it ignites. 2. CHILDREN'S GAMES: CULTIVATING SKILLS BEYOND PLAY The beau

[Feature] - Young Footballers Unleash The Roar at SFA Fiesta at National Stadium

(The content and images depicted in this entry were made available by the media release issued by the organizers) The SFA Fiesta at National Stadium (picture as credited) Football made its way back to the National Stadium this morning (28/1) after a hiatus when about 200 student-athletes from the School Football Academy (SFA) programme under the Unleash The Roar! national football project, which is run in 12 schools, experienced the thrill of playing on the pitch of the cornerstone of the Singapore Sports Hub in the SFA Fiesta . The abovementioned tournament is an inter-SFA 8v8 tournament which also saw participation from girl footballers from Methodist Girls’ School and Woodlands Secondary School who are new additions to the SFA programme in 2023. "GOOD EXPOSURE"  "It’s good exposure for us because it’s our first time playing at the National Stadium and it’s been a great experience; we had a lot of fun." said Khairufatin Binte Suyasri in the press statement issu

$10 Million LCS Training Centre In Full Swing

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by Lion City Sailors Football Club, all media materials used in this post belong to LCS) The highly anticipated Lion City Sailors (LCS) Training Centre was officially declared opened last evening (28/7) by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, and LCS chairman Mr Forrest Li. SAILORS ' COMMITMENT TO SINGAPORE FOOTBALL Located at 8 Mattar Road, this 28,000-square metres integrated football training facility is first-of-its-kind in Singapore. Some of the facilities in the centre included physiotherapy rooms, a gym, an analysis room as well as study facilities for academy trainees alongside five top-of-the-line football fields. LCS' $10 million facility at Mattar Road The training centre will the new home of the Sailors' first team, Under-21 side, academy trainees as well as its women’s team. "The training centre is the most tangible manifestation of the Sailors’ com

[Feature] - SFA Set To ROAR Under UTR!

(The content and  images depicted in this entry were made available by the media release issued by the organizers) As part of the action plan to cement the commitments that were spelt out months ago in the ambitious blueprint to lift Singapore football out of the doldrums, the audience at the Jurongville Secondary School witnessed the launch of the School Football Academy (SFA) programme under the Unleash The Roar! (UTR!) project last Saturday (23rd July). Mr Edwin Tong (extreme right) and Mr Eric Chua (extreme left) Graced by the presence of Mr Edwin Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, the event also saw the unveiling of the logos of both SFA and UTR!. Being one of the key pillars of the UTR! project, the SFA initiative was first announced last November following a partnership with the Spanish top-tier league LaLiga. TRAINING FREQUENCIES TO INCREASE Among the key features of the programme are increased training frequencies – up to four times a week from the average of

[Telegram Chat] - GETTING THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS?

The name is fixed? (created using meme generator ) After months of anticipation, we are given some updates on the Unleash The Roar! (UTR!) project days ago. When I first read about it, my main concern would be the sustainability of those ten School Football Academies (SFAs) schools (ie: resources like financial, manpower, etc.) which are the cornerstones of the update. Are we getting full support from the Ministry of Education (MOE) on the setting up of these SFA schools? Let's hope so, especially it seems to me past blueprints like "Goal 2010" did not have the backing of the educators. Besides MOE who must wholeheartedly support the "SFA" concept, I think to convince the parents of this UTR! is a viable project is equally important too. Parentage support is important to UTR! While it seems that the UTR! received a booster with Borussia Dortmund (BvB) and LaLiga coming on board as strategic partners , there are concerns of the roles to be played by them wh

[Telegram Chat] - FINALLY, COACHES NEED NOT SCRATCH THEIR HEADS

39th FAS Annual Congress (picture credit: FAS) The following are some of the key points mentioned in the 39th Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Annual Congress . A) From the 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season onwards, the fielding of one Under-23 (U23) player instead of three in the starting lineup. B) No limit on the number of U23 players registered in each SPL squad. C) Young elite leagues to resume in the 2022 season (subject to prevailing circumstances). D) FAS will "put in a strong and determined bid to host" AFF Suzuki Cup . I thought the biggest takeaways would be points (A) and (C) , especially for the former that head coaches would not find themselves in a constrained situation and give more flexibility to field their ideal XI. The move to revive the youth elite leagues is a good one and hopefully, we can see a conduit in place to allow proper progression than having a fast-tracking mode that saw more teenage players in a top-tier league in this s

Sailors Docked at MacPherson

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by Lion City Sailors (LCS) Football Club, all media materials used in this post belong to LCS ) Putting words into action was what Lion City Sailors (LCS) did earlier in the day when Singapore's only privatized football club hosted the groundbreaking ceremony of its $10 million state-of-the-art training facility at Mattar Road. The event was graced by the presence of Ms. Tin Pei Ling, Member of Parliament for MacPherson Single Member Constituency who was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony. The entrance to the LCS Integrated Facility  The conceiving of this state-of-the-art training facility was first reported in the media back last September  and not long after which their current facilities at the same location were accoladed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as a "One-Star academy". PROJECTED TO COMPLETE IN APRIL 2022 It is understood that the present facilities on the mentioned site will make way for

Sailors Wasting No Time To Establish Themselves With This AFC Recognition

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by Lion City Sailors Football Club, all media materials used in this post belong to LCSFC and LCS Football Academy , unless stated) Since launching itself as the first privatized professional football club in Singapore , Lion City Sailors (LCSFC) has been making significant efforts to project itself as the torch bearer in local football. Competing in the top tier AIA Singapore Premier League, the Sailors boasted themselves with an impressive star-studded side which is further strengthen with the recruitment of prolific Croatian striker Stipe Plazibat from Hougang United weeks ago. However, it is the youth development wing of the club bankrolled by billionaire Forrest Li making the heads turned recently. LCS Football Academy is based at Mattar Road $1 MILLION SCHOLARSHIP AND $10 MILLION TRAINING FACILITIES First on the list was the launch of the $1 million Elite Development Programme (EDP) scholarship by the club's LCS Fo

The Launch of $1 Million EDP Scholarship by Lion City Sailors

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by Lion City Sailors Football Club, all media materials used in this post belong to LCSFC, unless stated) Lion City Sailors Football Club (LCSFC) has announced the latest step in its commitment to enhancing Singapore’s football ecosystem, with the launch of a S$1 million scholarship programme - Elite Development Programme (EDP) , designed to nurture the careers of the country’s most talented young footballers in a media statement issued by the only privately-owned club of the Singapore Premier League (SGPL). Grooming the next generation of footballers is one of the aims of EDP KEY FEATURES OF EDP ● The S$1 million four-year EDP is the centrepiece of the LCS Football Academy, the club’s new hub for youth football development, and aims to give Singapore’s top young talent a pathway to fulfil their potential. ● LCS Football Academy will be helmed by Academy Technical Director Luka Lalic, who joins from renow

Youth and Grassroots dominated the "Ideas For Change"

Mr Bernard Tan (standing) opens the session "Ideas For Change" is a new initiative spearheaded by Mr Bernard Tan, vice-president of FAS Provisional Council, and had its first session at NYSI Satellite @ Kallang, it is modeled after the concept of TED Talks where speakers are given ten minutes each to speak on the topic of their choice. Making their presence at this maiden session included the likes of FAS General-Secretary Winston Lee, outgoing S.League CEO Lim Chin, former national players Goh Tat Chuan and Aleksandar Duric, who was one of the nine speakers who took turns to share their views on the local game with the audience. HAVING THE FUN FOR THE KIDS Dr Swarup Mukherjee from Nanyang Technological University was the first speaker to kick start the evening when he suggested a "mindset shift" over the years resulted in having a lesser number of kids playing football these days. Dr Mukherjee kicked start the evening  Rather than discourage kids from

"No Point Being A BIG FISH In The Pond"

Young Lions' sponsorship by Garena is the biggest to date (credit: FAS) "Resources have always been a key constraint faced by the FAS. This record deal represents a great vote of confidence for our programmes, ...The money will be spent wisely on the development of our most promising young talents, and to build the next generation of National Team players." declared Zainudin Nordin (pictured above, second from right), the president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) after the landmark deal that saw Garena, Southeast Asia’s largest Internet and mobile platform company, named as the main sponsors of the de-facto national developmental squad playing in the S.League. If people do not pay close attention to those words that appeared in the press release that was released weeks ago, would they think the $4,000,000 deal was meant for youth development and not solely for the newly-named Garena Young Lions (GYL, formerly known as Courts Young Lions after the pa

Patient, Passion, Conviction as Sablon rolls out his vision ...

Mr Sablon delivered his presentation  In short, "patient" and "time" are the key prerequisites summed up by FAS Technical Director Michel Sablon in presenting his much-awaiting blueprint to revamp the beleaguered development scheme of Singapore football to the media this afternoon at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Citing these aspects - "Grassroots" , "Elite Youth" and "Coach Education" as the three pillars under the Belgian's vision for the Republic's football development program, the whole idea is to place a systematic structure that build up from the ground level to achieve a "Singapore Style" of football. For a start, kids at the age between six and thirteenth will be placed under the "Grassroots" level where "FUN" element is the main feature for the youngest participants who will learn to play the game under a stress-free environment before progress gradually to learn the finer aspects of