Since 2010, the Just Play program in Tonga has been using football as a tool to encourage positive behaviors and develop resilience among children and young people.
In addition, the program provides a pathway that gives opportunities for these young children to develop their journey in football.
With that in mind, program staff are amazed to witness our Tonga U16 men’s team are all former participants who are set to proudly representing the country on home soil for the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2024.
Just Play Master Instructor, Lafaele Moala has been working for the program for almost 15 years and is delighted to admit that most of the players have been under his watch at some stage.
“I feel very proud witnessing that the U16 boys all participated in the Just Play Program. Fifteen years of working in the program with children and the mission I kept in mind is to one-day witness them representing our country in football,” an emotional Lafaele said.
“I am happy to say that these boys are lucky they grew up at a time where there are pathway programs like this which did not exist at my time.”
Lafaele added, “I feel success in what I am doing just by knowing that this team were all Just Play participants. I started working as a teacher before coming to the Just Play and my experience in teaching helped me a lot in my current job. The only thing that always come to mind is to teach my students in school and children in football to become better than myself and to receive great opportunities that may help them in the future. What more can I say, my mission has been accomplished”.
The program is deliver around Tonga not only to encourage children to live in a healthy lifestyles and positive behaviors but to realise that they have the potential to play football.
The program focuses on creating good pathways for children in a young age will expose their ability and potentials in football.
