THE Football Starts At Home Program is the Philippine Football Federation’s flagship program for grassroots development.
Founded by Coach Tom Byer, the advocacy targets children from ages two to six– the golden age of skill acquisition.
Through this, children will learn the basic ball manipulation skills while strengthening the bond with their parents and enhancing their learning abilities at home, which is considered a safe, protected and fun environment.
Football Starts At Home is now in motion, according to the 63-year-old youth football advocate as he along with the PFF visit all 35 Regional Football Association to kickstart the initiative.
“Building the advocacy among (35) Regional Football Associations is key to connecting with the community’s stakeholders. Building advocacy among the educational institutions and ministries. More interaction between parents and students,” said Byer, who played in Hitachi FC in Japan domestic league and worked with top professional and national team coaches.
Byer said establishing strong advocacy with all federations stakeholders from the outset is crucial for success of the program.
A groundbreaking initiative set to revolutionize the world of football, the movement is gaining momentum, according to Byer, with plans to extend its reach to families across the country.
The Philippine Football Federation aims to produce young talents who are highly skilled ball masters. With this foundation, these young talents will be ready for team activities and can be honed by coaches towards becoming competitive players who can eventually play for the national pool.
“This is a flagship program that we believe will revolutionize Philippine football, not in the short term, not in the near future, but in the long term,” PFF President John Gutierrez said during the launch of FSAH in UP Diliman last June.
“There has always been this belief, in my opinion, a misconception, that grassroots development should start between the ages of 6 to 12. This program will prove that learning football can start much, much earlier.”
