The Generation Amazing Foundation – one of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ legacy projects – and CONCACAF have marked the first anniversary of their joint football for a development project, which is set to benefit thousands of children and coaches across North and Central America and the Caribbean. Since being launched during last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup in Houston, Texas, programs have been rolled out in ten CONCACAF countries to equip local coaches and volunteers with the tools and support to provide grassroots football training in their communities. After training, the coaches will lead six-week-long programs in schools, academies and clubs to benefit hundreds of girls and boys aged 8-12. Later in the year, each country will host a football festival to unite participants and share key learning. Following this, the Generation Amazing Festival will be held in Qatar from 16-21 November.
The project will eventually reach all CONCACAF’s 41 member associations over the next four years, during the build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Each project will be delivered with the community’s strengths and challenges in mind, relying heavily on collaboration between stakeholders to develop a tailored methodology. The project will ultimately provide more local coaches with the skills they need to deliver fun, safe and engaging football sessions for young people in their communities. Coaches will learn about the importance of their role, safeguarding, sport for development and how to use football as a tool to support social change.
H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC, said: “The partnership with CONCACAF truly reflects the ethos and ambitions of Generation Amazing. It is faithful to our pledge of ensuring that Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup has a genuine global impact and that this impact reaches individuals and communities most in need. I am certain our partnership will continue to improve lives and inspire through the power of football for a long time to come.”
Nasser Al Khori, Executive Director, Generation Amazing Foundation, said: “We are pleased to have co-developed this program with CONCACAF and hopeful it will see positive results across North and Central America and the Caribbean. As the leading legacy initiative of Qatar 2022, our vision is to continue beyond the World Cup – and our relationship with CONCACAF will allow us to work closely in the region as it prepares to host the next edition of the tournament in 2026.”
CONCACAF’s Director of Development, Jason Roberts, said: “This program is going to have lasting benefits in our region for years to come. It will support local coaches to ensure they deliver for young people in their communities. It will use the power of football to inspire social change across the region. We want to thank all the member associations and stakeholders who have supported the development of the program and we look forward to implementing it across the entire CONCACAF region.”
The project between Generation Amazing and CONCACAF was discussed during a panel session at the Concordia Americas Summit in Miami, Florida.
Al Khori and Roberts took part in the discussion alongside Dr. Fadi Makki, Director of B4 Development – another Qatar 2022 legacy project which champions behavioral science – and CONCACAF Community Coach, Mark Mungal. The session was titled ‘FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: A Legacy Beyond Qatar’.
Al Khori outlined Generation Amazing’s work, saying the program hoped to reach 1 million beneficiaries by the time Qatar 2022 kicks off. Thanks to projects in ten countries, including Qatar, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Argentina, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, and Uganda, Generation Amazing has already impacted more than 750,000 people since its launch in 2010.
Al Khori said: “The work we are doing with CONCACAF is really exciting for us and the perfect springboard for our future ambitions. Generation Amazing will continue to function as a standalone foundation after Qatar 2022 – and over the next few years we plan to host festivals in the CONCACAF region in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
Makki mentioned the collaboration between Generation Amazing, CONCACAF, and B4D, which has helped to shape football for development projects in Qatar and globally. He said: “The pioneering use of behavioral insights by Generation Amazing and CONCACAF in their sports for development programs strengthens their evidence base and reinforces their effectiveness.