A Saturday Special. It is a fact that in order for our Philippine Football to thrive, we need to put more effort with our grassroots and youth football. But despite the lack of infrastructure, there has always been a steady supply of players brought out by plenty of academies all over the country.
But why is it that we know little about them? Why don't people get behind them?
This question comes to mind after the fruitful discussions we had over at the #EatSleepBreatheFootball podcasts.
Think about it.
We have all of these great academies spread throughout the country ranging from PFL contender teams, like Kaya FC Academy, to the rural community clubs, like the Football Academy of Mt. Apo Highlands. These academies are able to thrive and develop local football in their areas.
So what's the problem?
A continuous supply of kids means that there are parents and children willing to invest time and even money on football. This means that football is able to capture interest and bring people together. But why isn't this translating to more people in the stands?
Why aren't people talking about football in the same way as basketball and volleyball are? What's missing?
I think it might be because we're not making football a part of culture.
Yes, academies are there to pluck the great seeds and grow them into even greater sprouts. But they might not realize just how influential they are to bringing the sport up.
What I want to say is: We need to pay attention to the community just as we are paying attention to the players we groom.
In the Italian city of Bergamo, if you give birth to a child in any of their hospitals they will be given the club colors, swag items, little trinkets. This might not mean a lot to many, but it does. Atalanta wants brings in more support by making them Atalanta supporters at a very, very young age.
They build their culture around the love of football by making the community involved in one small way, or another.
Am I saying that these clubs, these academies, need to fork up money in marketing? Maybe, but not exactly. What I'm saying is that we need to get the community involved. Everybody wants to belong to somewhere they belong.
What I'm saying is that academies should embrace their local communities. Build their club, their academy, around the people around them. Be the club that best represents them.
Spread the word, hype the crowd, let them come. Give them hope, show them that their community has a club to be proud of. That's what they need.
Football is such a beautiful sport not just because of how it inspires the people. Any sport can do that. I can guarantee that the story for Filipino ballers are the same in which basketball is a 'way of life' for them.
No. To say football is a way of life is such an understatement.
FOOTBALL IS LIFE.
And the football culture is what makes it so. We're not just talking about how athletes were able to complete rags to riches stories because of the sport.
We're talking about how a whole community's heart can be broken in just 90 minutes. About how communities unite in support of their identity. How they would wear their colors with pride.
We're talking about people who work so hard in the day, with nothing on their mind except the upcoming fight the club is up against. How their team lifts their spirit even when they aren't in a game.
We're talking about voices that grow ever so louder whenever the ball inches closer to the opposing ball.
The footballing culture is about supporting a team that represents who you are. And whatever happens to the team is like an extension of what happens to you. The team wins, you win. They lose, you lose. I can't even find the words to say about this.
Football is truly a part of the people they represent. Remember when Brazil lost to Germany 7-1 in the World Cup? That news was so big that I'm sure it's probably made into your radar one way or another.
To the non-footballing fan, a loss is just a loss.
But trust me, it isn't.
Football isn't just a sport. It isn't just a way of life. It's so much more than that.
We can start building our football culture right here, through these academies. Let them know that this isn't just their kid's game, it's theirs too.
Let the locale know that you're not just a business, you're a part of this town.
Let them know that the competitions you win isn't for your brand, it's for theirs.
Let them see how you want to put their place on the map. Let them find that your resolve is just like the hardworking people you represent.
I'm sure that Philippine Football isn't just some feasible business investment. I know that it can be more than that.
The cities that adopted you isn't just a requirement that you need to fulfill for joining the league. The cities that adopted you must realize that they are now a part of you as you are of them.
I don't believe the stands are empty because of shallow pockets and lack of interest. It's empty because despite the name, their name, they don't feel that they belong.
Give them a reason to belong!
Everyone wants a place to call their own. Be that place. Be that community!
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