Stars in their Eyes

The strategy of Stars in their Eyes is very, very clear: To create opportunities for personal development and social cohesion within disadvantaged communities on a long term basis, using sport – specifically soccer – as catalyst for change, and as vehicle with which to create powerful community leaders. With this in mind from the beginning, Stars has remained true to its vision, and has achieved great results.

We collaborate intensively with the Royal Dutch Football Association, using their WorldCoaches ‘Football for Development’ model as basis in everything which we do. This is an exciting combination of innovative football coaching and life skills training, which intensively addresses local social issues in the curriculum. It includes aspects such as HIV-Aids guidance; Saying NO!! to violence; Leadership and motivation; Combating teenage pregnancies; Gender equality; and Anti-drug and alcohol abuse.

The focus of this learning and one-on-one mentoring is to enable community leaders to instil discipline, encourage initiative, promote healthy living and to develop self respect and pride in individuals and communities, using soccer as catalyst.

In collaboration with the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), the Royal Netherlands Embassy in South Africa, and supported by many organisations and individuals, Stars has created a pioneering project, and has built up wide-ranging experiences and a successful track record in attracting the enthusiastic participation of children, parents, schools, teachers and local business people in South Africa and The Netherlands.

To date Stars has trained 475 community sports leaders from 177 disadvantaged communities (villages) in South Africa: 110 in the Western Cape, 43 in the Eastern Cape and 25 in the Northern Cape. 50 South African coaches have had the experience of a lifetime to undergo advanced training at the KNVB in The Netherlands. 13 own lecturers have been trained in the programme methodology, enabling the Stars-legacy to be alive for long after 2010.

Now – after 2010 has come and gone – Stars more than ever is focusing on creating a human legacy in disadvantaged city townships and poverty-stricken rural areas.

A letter which we received from our chairman after our involvement in the World Football Championships in South Africa in July 2010 said the followin.

“There can be no doubt that 2010 demonstrated the ability of sport to unite nations. From the flags displayed proudly on car passing by, to the bellowing of vuvuzelas, to the mass displays of the Orange Army – people from all over the World came together through a common sense of pride and brotherhood. It is this same sense of pride and belonging that has made sport a popular vehicle for uplifting underprivileged and dysfunctional communities.

Stars in their Eyes has proven that sport is a sure way to get (and keep) kids off the streets. When Stars in their Eyes was established in 2006, we decided that we would take the joint passion of Dutch and South Africans for football and use it as an entry point into the lives of disadvantaged children. Wonderfully supported by the Dutch Embassy, our vision was, is and will remain to create a human legacy in disadvantaged urban townships and impoverished rural areas.

At the time of writing this letter, our coaches have trained a great number of community leaders from disadvantaged communities all over South Africa. The Royal Dutch Football Association has played a massive role in empowering our coaches. As a result Stars has engaged key role-players within the community; from the children and their parents, to the schools and teachers, and even local business people. Very, very importantly – our approach has given female footballers a new opportunity to play a really meaningful role.

Our effectiveness lies in the intersection which our coaches have so proudly created between football coaching and life skills training; including everything from HIV-Aids guidance and anti-violence education, to leadership training and education on substance abuse. Results speak for themselves. Young people all over the Western, Eastern, Northern and Gauteng Provinces are today displaying enhanced discipline, self-respect, pride, and initiative…  All achieved by using football as the catalyst and life skills training as the enabler. Our success has also led to increasing interest from people in other parts of the world who would like to adopt this model within their own countries.

Soon – in September 2012 – Stars will have a ‘new baby’. ‘Estrella en Ogos’ in Peru! Stars in their Eyes may or may not yield some future Bafana Bafana stars. But one thing is for sure, the kids that come through our program on a daily basis certainly leave with “stars in their eyes” – assured of their own potential for greatness and ready to take on the world”.