Youth Soccer School
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>View discussions about this entry Country: Singapore
Organization: Fc Bonito
Sport: Soccer
Year the initative began (yyyy) 2007
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? Using soccer as a channel to empower youth to be assets in the society, achieve self-reliance through Character-development, and embrace right attitudes in life.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? The Youth Soccer School is birthed out of a vision to empower the youth to be successful in every aspect of their lives (e.g. exceling in their studies, achieving financial independence, having the tenacity and resilience to overcome life's challenges and difficulties, etc.) and to achieve self-reliance. The school is built on the principles of 3 'I's: To INSTIL in the beneficiaries, the positive values and right attitudes in life by educating them in the areas of life skills training and character development; INSPIRE them to unleash and maximize their potential to the fullest through a Youth Amateur Soccer League, thus creating a platform for their talents and abilities to be identified and discovered by professional soccer teams; and INTEGRATE the youths-at-risk and delinquents by empowering them to be changemakers and contribute to the society through the creation of job opportunities both within and outside the school upon graduation.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? Existing barriers are the indifference, lack of drive, purpose, determination and confidence that I see in youths today, which compels me to want to do something to effect a positive change in them. Therefore, my school aims to instil, inspire and integrate the youths into the society, so that they will become assets to the society and empowered to make a social impact wherever they go.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? The developmental approach is used to INSTIL, through life skills trainings, character development programs and engaging the youths in community service to help the disadvantaged in the society. By doing community service, they will be able to identify themselves as someone who can contribute, to be a giver and someone who can make a difference in and impact the lives of others, rather than someone who is of no significant value in life. The approach to INSPIRE is through mentorship, encouragement and creating of platform for talents and abilities to be discovered from the Youth Amateur Soccer League. The rehabilitative approach is used to INTEGRATE the youths-at-risk and deliquents by empowering them to be changemakers and contribute to the society through the creation of job opportunities both within (such as future Trainers, Mentors, Full time professional soccer player or Facililators) and outside the school (employments aligned with their interest and based on their strengths).
How do you plan to grow your innovation? I plan to grow the innovation by transforming the Youth Soccer School into a Social Enterprise that is self-sustainable, providing employment for beneficiaries and using the profits generated to run programmes for youth that will make a social impact. In working towards being a Social Enterprise and achieving sustainability, I plan to: 1) Work with schools that desire to see their students exceling not just in studies but also in areas of character development and embracing a positive attitude in life through soccer, by charging them a fee for training their students according to our school training curriculum, 2) Charging a fee for youths who are interested to take part in the youth amateur soccer league (youths in Singapore do not have a platform for them to display their talents and play competitive soccer on a regular basis), and 3) Conduct and charge training fees to the public or companies who can benefit from our life skills trainings.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. To effect a positive transformation in the lives of youths today, to offer them a future and a hope.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? Players from my soccer team have approached me, commenting on how they have benefited from the trainings conducted. From a team that used to play disorganized football, it is now able to play free-flowing passing football. The team has also received praises from a few opponents about its impressive tactics and skills. From a team that consisted of players who were laid-back, players have made vast improvements by taking up leadership positions and other responsibilities with a never-give-up attitude. In my vision to build a school out of this team, the intended impact is to effect positive transformations in the lives of many more youths (particularly the youth at large, as well as youth-at-risk and delinquents) through soccer, with the emphasis around the principles of the 3 'I's, so that they can know that they are people who have tremendous potential, gifts and talents that will result in them being successful and becoming champions that never quit and not never fail in life.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? 1. The number of enrolments in trainings
2. The number of competitions won by the teams outside the school 3. The number of teams formed in the Youth Amateur Soccer League 4. The number of job opportunities being created within and outside the school 5. The success rates of youth participants being free of offences committed or drug-related activities. 6. The success rates of youth participants exceling in their studies and gaining financial freedom. 7. The success stories and testimonials of youth participants making an impact in society. What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? Main barriers to acheiving my impact will be the lack of financial support to do more in helping the beneficiaries to attain the 3 I's.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? I hope that my youth soccer school can be funded during the initial stage before I can see it eventually becoming self-sustainable, so as to keep its vision and mission going, thereby maximising and expanding its impact in greater measures.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. Fc Bonito is currently run by a friend of mine and myself on a voluntary basis.
What is the potential demand for your innovation? Youth are the future leaders of any country and a strategy like 3 'I's will benefit any country or society that wants to be progressive, to grow and to advance. As the youth in this school are empowered to be assets and taught to be a contributer and giver in this self-centered world, because of them, the society will become a better place for people to live in.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? Lack of practical know-how in attaining financial sustainability, as well as lack of support (in terms of receiving advice and financial support) in keeping this innovation going.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. As someone who loves soccer, plays and leads YMCA(Singapore) youth soccer team and believes in empowerment through education, all these attributed to me coming up with the idea of this innovation when I was thinking through about how the youth in Singapore can be reached out to and empowered to be assets in the society. Fc Bonito was formed shortly in 2 months' time during my course of work one day interviewing a group of 3 youths who were searching for a school vacation job, after mindmapping the strategy and structure of the innovation. Using the strategy of 3 I's to run the team that will turn 1 year old this February, I enjoy the joy of seeing how this group of youth have gained pleasure and fulfillment in playing the soccer, while benefiting from my character development and life skills trainings. This has truly convinced me that this work needs to be done on a larger scale with more financial support and better equipment. The need to empower youth and mentor them as I befriend and relate with them is ever so real and in demand today.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. Joshua Lin, a Career Consultant by profession. Joshua has been in Youth work since 1999 handling cases like sucide, countless counselling and support to youth who struggle with life challenges and difficulties.Engaged also as a Full-time Youth Worker in Teen Challenge(Singapore), conducting life skills training and counselling to delinquent for 6 months before National Service enlistment. Served as an Instructor during National Service and currently the Founder, Manager and Coach of Fc Bonito soccer team on voluntary basic.
Contact Information:
Joshua Lin
Manager and Coach Fc Bonito (Soccer team) Discussions about this entry |
