The 2013 Future Players Talent Search Programme Continues to Impress

Johannesburg, Thursday, 28 February 2013 – An amazing 4000 learners took part in the 2013 Future Players Talent Search at the three sets of trials that were held in Gauteng over the weekend as the hunt continues to unearth the next superstar of South African football!

It was another massive turnout that takes the Future Players Talent Search ever closer to the target of assessing 10 000 learners in this year’s competition and shows once more how the event has captured the imagination of budding footballers from the province.

Learners from Johannesburg East were hosted at Highlands North Boys High, Sedibeng East & West at the Isak Steyl Stadium, and Tshwane North & West at the Hillview High school.

The standard of the boys and girls was exceptionally high once more, making it difficult for the coaches to decide who should advance to the semi-finals of the competition.

The learners were put through five tests to get a general assessment of their football skills and among the 4000 who took part this past weekend, a huge number of them showed that they have the potential to make a career out of the game.

The Future Players initiative, run in conjunction with the Gauteng Provincial Government, is open to youngsters aged 13 to 16, with the final round of regional trials to be held on March 16 at the UJ Soweto Campus and Greenhills Stadium as well as March 17 at the Sports Schools of Excellence and the Kwa-Tema Sports Complex.

Aside from the skills assessment that is used to identify the best of the young participants, all learners also take part in a 45-minute life-skills programme that is presented by representatives of Grassroot Soccer’s ‘Skillz’ programme which teaches about living a healthy, risk-free life.

“Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an international non-profit organisation whose mission is to use the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize to stop the spread of HIV. GRS operates by training local community educators to deliver an interactive evidence-based HIV prevention and life skills curriculum to adolescents,†says Grassroot’s Cedric Nukeri.

“Through our partnership with Future Players Talent Search, Grassroot Soccer is able to speak directly to young participants and harness the power of the game to provide the next generation with the skills necessary to stop the spread of HIV and live healthy, more productive lives.

Through this partnership Grassroot Soccer and Future Players Talent Search can align their objectives to provide greater service to the Gauteng communities in which the participants originate from.”

Each set of trials for the 2013 Future Players Talent Search will get under way at 09h00 and finish at 15h00. The youngsters also get treated to a food pack from loyal partner, Pick ‘n Pay.

“The Future Players Talent Search is an incredible tool for harnessing and nurturing young talent that may otherwise be overlooked,†said Malcolm Mycroft, Pick n Pay’s General Manager: Marketing.

“Pick n Pay is particularly pleased that so many thousands of learners have access to the Future Players initiative and that it brings together sport and life skills – a fundamental combination in every learner’s development.â€

The remaining trials will take place on the following dates and at these venues:

DATE DISTRICT VENUE
16 March Johannesburg South & North UJ Soweto Campus
16 March Gauteng West Greenhills Stadium
17 March Ekurhuleni South & North School of Excellence
17 March Gauteng East Kwa-Tema Sports Complex
30 March Semi-Finals & Final Nike Football Training Centre, Pimville

  • 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