Football for Schools 1.0.30.1426

The official Football for Schools app, developed collaboratively by the FIFA Foundation and UNESCO, serves as a valuable resource for teachers and coach-educators worldwide, aiming to introduce the game of football to children aged four to 14. This app not only focuses on the sport itself but also emphasizes the importance of nurturing life skills through engaging educational content.

With a collection of short videos designed to captivate and inspire children of varying abilities, the app embodies the philosophy of allowing "the game to be the teacher" during sessions led by educators. It is positioned as a tool that promotes children's holistic development, leveraging football as a medium to cultivate essential skills and competencies that transcend the pitch. The program effectively connects personal and social skills honed in football with those necessary for resilience and success in everyday life.

The Football for Schools initiative prioritizes learning through enjoyment and play rather than traditional drills or lectures. Its pedagogical approach aims to integrate simple game formats into every lesson, fostering not only technical and tactical development but also social interaction among children in a friendly environment while allowing for free play and exploration.

Key features include:

• 180 short videos (60-90 seconds) and illustrations tailored for three distinct child development stages: 4-7 years, 8-11 years, and 12-14 years, complemented by relevant life skills content.
• 60 physical education sessions structured around components such as fun warm-up games, skills development games, practical applications in football scenarios, and life skills development through participatory activities.
• A focus on simple group organization that encourages involvement, inclusion, and engagement from all children, along with opportunities for both basic skill execution and more challenging progressions.
• Flexibility for coach-educators to select individual sessions or pre-designed programs tailored to their coaching objectives and the school’s expectations.

The app is accessible to a wide audience—not limited to qualified football coaches—making it suitable for any physical education teacher or coach-educator regardless of their experience level. Initially, users can follow the sessions precisely as instructed before gradually adapting them based on their familiarity with the games' organization.

Features of the app include:

• User-friendly interface for ease of navigation.
• Football techniques taught by FIFA experts.
• Educational methodologies provided by UNESCO experts.
• A ready-made program that can be implemented for specific groups.
• The ability to save favorite lessons to create a personalized curriculum.
• Options for downloading sessions for offline use.

Fundamentally, the Football for Schools project aims to:

• Prioritize child development over merely training football players;
• Foster social interactions through enjoyable games while addressing individual challenges;
• Ensure the safety and protection of all participants at all times;
• Promote the values inherent in football as a comprehensive educational tool.