The Future Players Gauteng programme heads for Highlands North High School

Johannesburg, Thursday, 28th November 2013 – The final set of trials in 2013 for the Future Players Gauteng Talent Search programme will take place this weekend before a break for the festive season. The quest to find the province’s brightest young football talents will continue in January 2014.

The sixth set of trials for this year’s search will be held on Saturday (30th November) at the Highlands North High School for learners in the Johannesburg East region and surrounding areas.

It follows the hugely successful trials at the Hillview High School in Roseville, Pretoria last weekend, when another 470 learners from the Tshwane West region got to showcase their skills as they attempt to win a place in the finals of the competition next year.

Once again a large proportion of the participants were girls, some 180 in total, which is more evidence that the talent search has captured the imagination of all youngsters in the Gauteng province and that the passion for the Beautiful Game stretches across the gender divide.

The learners were put through their paces by 12 coaches, one of them female, in five skills tests to see if they have what it takes to advance to the finals.

The Future Players initiative, run in conjunction with the Gauteng Provincial Government, led by the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, is open to youngsters aged 13 to 16 (boys and girls).

But there is an important social responsibility aspect and all learners will be given a presentation by LoveLife, South Africa’s largest national AIDS prevention, education and behavior initiative for young people.

The none-profit organisation promotes AIDS-free living among South African youth aged between 12 and 19 by employing a holistic approach to youth development and behavior change that motivates adolescents to take charge of their lives for brighter futures.

The best youngsters from the 15 districts in the Gauteng trials will be chosen for the final to be staged at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville on March 29, 2014.

  • 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