Program, which gives all kids a chance to play, is making strides across Africa
Just a few months after more than 100 African representatives attended the first-ever Game On! African Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, the Game On! Youth Sports program is achieving popularity across the continent quickly.
In May, more than 100 delegates from throughout Africa took part in the summit. The historic event focused on uniting the African continent under the Game On! banner, and providing leaders in their respective countries with a valuable resource to combat the negative influences such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and crime that are destroying countless young lives every day.
Game On! is an effort of the International Alliance For Youth Sports (IAYS) to make a positive difference in young lives through sports. The IAYS operates under the umbrella of the National Alliance For Youth Sports, America’s leading advocate for positive, safe youth sports.
“Children in Africa need, more than ever, a program to build their self confidence, give them hope and be an effective tool in fighting negative influences and behaviors,” said Fred Engh, president of the IAYS. “The Game On! program is easy to implement, and will give every child in Africa a chance to play.”
The goal of Game On! Youth Sports is to allow all children the opportunity to be introduced to sports by teaching them the skills and giving them the knowledge of individual sports through the school system, as well as the opportunities to participate in sports under a supervised program in their leisure time. The IAYS provides training for instructors, continuous support throughout the program, and equipment through its Global Gear Drive, which collects new and used sporting equipment and ships it to places in need.
During the Summit, experts from the IAYS explained how Game On! fits into the school and community sports programs in many African countries. Attendees had the opportunity to visit one of the schools that have already benefited from the Game On! program. The school, called Munali, has a project run in partnership with Sport In Action. Sport In Action is a non-governmental organization whose aim revolves around the betterment of people’s quality of life through sport and recreational activities.
In Zambia, the first African country to implement Game On! Youth Sports, officials are raving about the success of the program.
“It is our honor and privilege to be the pioneers of Game On! Africa,” said Lupando Mwape, the vice president of Zambia. “It is our desire and hope that this program will be replicated in other African countries as a way of broadening the foundation of sport in Africa.”
Clement Chileshe of Zambia, the African representative for Game On! Youth Sports and executive director of Sport In Action, said he believes the Game On! program will make a huge impact in the lives of African children.
“People are beginning to look at sports from a different perspective,” Chileshe said. “We've ignited something that we haven't seen in Zambia before.”
In Cameroun,the Ministry of Sports allocated $20,000 USD from its budget to launch the Game On! Youth Sports program. Close to 600 children, adults, sports coordinators and dignitaries attended the official launch of the program at the Omnisport Annex Stadium in Yaounde. Additional funding will come from the IAYS.
“The country of Cameroun believes strongly in the value of sports to help improve the mental, emotional and physical health of children,” said Rosaline Afor-Amba, from the Ministry of Sport and Physical Education in Cameroun. “Most importantly, sports play a key role in the prevention of antisocial behaviors such as crime and promiscuity among children.”
The IAYS is also making strides in Africa through a unique partnership with the Supreme Council of Sport In Africa (SCSA) to make the first-ever Game On! Youth Camp a part of the 7th annual All-Africa Games in July.
Game On! has already been successful in many areas, including Caribbean countries such as St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and Dominica, as well as Mexico – with interest growing across the world. In Dominica, for example, Game On! has been implemented in many schools, and the country recently celebrated the program’s success witha Game On! Youth Sports Festival.
“It is working fantastic in schools,” said Loreen Bannis-Roberts, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism in Dominica. “The whole idea is not to leave any child behind, and so far we have about 1,500 children involved.”
The IAYS is committing $100,000 USD to the implementation of Game On! in Africa, which includes the construction of the Munali Game On! baseball fields. It has also already sent thousands of dollars worth of sports equipment and apparel to Zambia.
“There is no use or need for failure, because sport has been well-supported and there are high expectations from government,” said Gladys Nyirongo, acting sports minister in Zambia. “Sport speaks a lot and can be used to shape the life of children and youths. Sport needs to be encouraged when someone is very young. As government we will embrace the youth program and scale it up so it reaches high levels.”
Added Mwape: “The government of Zambia attaches great importance to sport and physical education as an engine for human sustainable development.”
To find out more about Game On! Youth Sports, visit www.iays.org.
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