Gunners Football Club hosted a Play for Education soccer initiative at the Altrek Sports Grounds in a bid to raise funds to take care of the educational needs of the club’s young players.
The club’s Rhulani Baloyi and Stanley Makhubela said they had taken a leaf from their own book of experiences as soccer players. “We were both good players growing up in Alexandra and we never made it to the professional level for one reason or another, and the same will happen to our players at the club,” Baloyi said. “Not all of them will make it to the prestigious echelons of football and this initiative wants to ensure they have a sound education to back them up in case they don’t turn profession or even when they retire from limited lifespan careers of football.”
Read: Future uncertain for young soccer stars
With this in mind, Baloyi said the Gunners had seen it fit to ensure that their players were not just stars on the field of play but were also stars when it came to their academic performance at school.
Therefore, the Gunners started an after-school programme designed to augment what the players learn in class with an after-hours programme which entails a total dedication to books every Monday and Tuesday from 4.30pm to 6pm at the Altrek Sports Grounds offices.
“We decided to cancel our training on Mondays and Tuesdays and dedicated the two days to the educational requirements of the children, and we were joined by Bluebirds who also cancelled their training sessions so the kids could find time to attend the after-hours lessons,” Baloyi said.
The after-hours educational sessions which cater for grades 1 to 8, have managed to attract a fluctuating figure of 30 to 40 children, although Gunners were looking at raising the figure to about 100, depending on the availability of funds to run and sustain the initiative.
Baloyi said their dream was to widen the opportunity as much as they could and open it up to every schoolchild regardless of the teams they play for.
Baloyi said they would appreciate financial assistance, donations of books, and sanitary pads for the girls. They were also looking for voluntary tutors.
Details: Rhulani Baloyi 072 437 2622; www.gunnersfc.co.za
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