Teaching soccer skills to Samoan girls and women players and promoting their participation and inclusion in the game is the main purpose behind a new initiative dubbed the Soccer Sisters Festival.

The Football Federation Complex at Tuanaimato on Saturday was packed with excited and eager young girls from the age group of 4 to 18 years old, as they flocked to the fields to take part in this year’s Soccer Sisters Festival.

The Soccer Sister Festival is a one day event for Girls and Women with small sided games, fun and introduction to football basics activities for the participants.

The Soccer Sisters Festival culminated a three-day workshop for Women’s Football capacity building which was held earlier on in the week at the Football Federation Complex.

Football Federation Samoa (F.F.S.) Women’s Staff lead the 3-day workshop with main support from the Oceania Football Confederation (O.F.C.). Part of the program saw inspirational women speakers from other sporting and non-government organizations share their experiences with the hope to inspire women footballer’s participants.

The women’s football organisation continues to roll out initiatives which focus on strengthening women and girl’s inclusion and participation in the game.

Head of Women’s Football in O.F.C. Emma Evans stated that the programme meets a number of O.F.C. key objectives as expressed in the 2019 – 2026 O.F.C. Strategic Plan where capacity building is a key priority across all areas of the game, especially for Women’s Football.

“As Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the 3-day workshop focused on women’s administrative roles in the delivery of football as a main sport for women, the Soccer Sisters Festival was the finale of the workshop as young girls were given the opportunity to participate in soccer exercise on the field,” she said.

“We anticipate that young women who have come here today will have learnt not only football skills but valuable life lessons as well, because women ought to have the same benefits men receive within football as well,” she added.

It is the hope of the Soccer Sisters Festival that more young girls develop an interest in football and participate through different clubs. Thirty (30) participants attended the 3 –day Workshop ranging from club managers, coaches and players of registered Clubs.

The F.F.S. Women’s Football team is planning to host the same Capacity building workshop for Women in Savai’i by the end of this year.