The 2011 Gauteng Future Champions Talent Search Programme kicks off in style

Forever Marketing – Maggie Sekoto

Johannesburg, Wednesday, 9th February 2011 – The first stop on the 2011 Gauteng Future Champions Talent Search proved a huge success this past weekend as over 600 learners entered the programme in search of fame and fortune!

The event, which is being run in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Education, took place at the Moletsane Sport Complex on Saturday, where learners from the Johannesburg Central and Johannesburg North districts took part.

There were 10 Gauteng-based football coaches, who work in youth and football development, on hand to lead the skills assessments for the participating youngsters, as well as a total of 45 trainers from the life skills programme Grassroot Soccer, who mentored the learners on the dangers of HIV/Aids.

The children were transported in from Soweto, Eldorado Park, Lenasia, Southern Suburbs, Diepsloot, Cosmo City, Westbury, Randburg and Riverlea. Once participants were registered, they were put into groups of 25, after which they underwent soccer skills tests and life skills tests.

They were put through their paces by the coaches, and as much as there was a serious side to the Talent Search, it was easy to see that the youngsters got a lot of enjoyment from their exploits on the field.

For the life skills programme, all participants went through a 45-minute curriculum course, which taps the power and popularity of football to break stigmas, dramatically increase awareness and change behaviours to combat HIV/Aids.

Other supporters of the Talent Search are Pick ‘n Pay, who provided food and drink for all the participating learners on the day, and sportswear giant Nike, who provided the footballing gear for the coaches.

The finals of the Talent Search will be held during the 2011 Gauteng Future Champions tournament that will take place from March 28 to April 2, where the top three young individuals will be chosen. The winners will embark on a trip of a lifetime overseas, where they will visit and train at a top international club.

The Talent Search is open to all learners in the province aged 14-16 and organisers are hopeful of having a total of

10 000 participants from the nine events, having topped the 6 000 mark last year.

REMAINING TALENT SEARCH DAYS

DATE VENUE DISTRICT

12/02/11 Ennadale Sport Complex Johannesburg South
19/02/11 Kwa Thema Sport Complex Gauteng East, Ekurhuleni South

26/02/11 Marivhate Sport Complex Ekurhuleni North, Johannesburg East
05/03/11 Green Hills Soccer Fields Gauteng West, Johannesburg West
06/03/11 Old Ridge Park Sedibeng East, Sedibeng West
12/03/11 HM Pitje Stadium Tshwane South, Gauteng North
13/03/11 Soshanguve Block X Sport Complex Tshwane North, Tshwane West
19/03/11 Moletsane Sport Complex Semi-final

For further information, please visit www.future-champions.net

  • We had a wonderful football and cultural experience in Gauteng. The tournament and activities were very well organized and we found everyone involved extremely helpful and accommodating. We have all returned home with fantastic memories of our time in South Africa, both on and off the pitch, and have made many new friends as a result of the trip. I hope that we are invited to participate in future tournaments.

    Everton Academy Head Coach

  • The experience both on and off the field for our players during the Future Champions tournament in Gauteng was life-enriching for all those who participated. We were privileged enough to win this edition but what will be bringing us back in future is the cross-cultural education our players receive from spending time with athletes from all over the world. They are human beings before they are football players and enriching them with other cultures is as rewarding as the experience they receive on the field.

    Club Tijuana Director of Football

  • After twenty years of experiencing tournaments around the globe, Future Champions is hands down the best organized, well run International Tournament we have ever participated in. Bringing teams from dozens of different countries provided our boys exposure to cultural diversity they only read about in textbooks. It’s amazing how sport can be the cultural link that provides the opportunity to interact with each other and discover that our global community is a bit smaller than they realized. We had a football and cultural experience that will be cherished for the rest of our lives.

    Director of USYSA Select

  • For us to compete in Future Champions is much more than playing a series of matches. It is an opportunity to compete and contrast our level against the best teams from around the world and the possibility of living in another culture and environment for an unforgettable week, learning about the history of the fight for human rights.

    Director of Aspire Academy

  • The addition of a girls’ competition this year is a natural expansion for what has become a hugely popular event. Over and above the football, the players are also exposed to life-skills courses and HIV/AIDS awareness that could end up saving their lives in the future. We have had an amazing partnership with the Gauteng Province over the last decade and we thank each and every stakeholder for making the Future Champions Gauteng campaign such a huge success

    Tournament director