Grass Root Soccer

By Anonymous (not verified), May 31, 2022

20 years of playing it forward for adolescent health

We’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of Grassroot Soccer in 2022! Each month this year, we’ll look back on a key milestone in GRS history — and where we’ve gone from there.

This month we’re sharing stories about the unique and vital role Grassroot Soccer (GRS) Coaches play as youth mentors, health educators, and changemakers in their communities.At the heart of the impact of GRS programming is the relationship between adolescents and GRS Coaches — trained young-adult mentors who create safe spaces for young people, empower them to build crucial health knowledge and life skills, and connect them to youth-friendly health services.As adolescents’ near-peers who live in the same communities, GRS Coaches speak the same language as young people and can relate to their life experiences and challenges — meaning that GRS participants are far more likely to closely identify with Coaches, respect and admire them as role models, and be receptive to what they have to say. GRS Coaches go far beyond simply delivering SKILLZ curricula and passing on information to young people; instead, they are one of the “3 C’s” of the GRS model of adolescent behavior change (Coaches, Curriculum, Culture), building strong and supportive relationships with adolescents so that they are inspired to take action:

Coaches identify and lift up participants’ strengths to build self-efficacy and confidence
Coaches build positive connections with participants, showing a genuine interest in their personal challenges and successes
Coaches create non-judgemental and safe spaces that encourage participants to engage with sensitive topics
Coaches facilitate meaningful conversations in a way that can shift attitudes
Coaches present health information in a clear, accessible, and youth-friendly way that can lead to real behavior change

In One Word: What Being a GRS Coach Is All About

In recent conversations, GRS Coaches were asked to think of a single word that encapsulates their experiences supporting and mentoring young people. Here’s what they shared:

Introducing the Grassroot Soccer Youth Advisory Committee

GRS has always believed that meaningful youth engagement and participation is key to impact, and these principles have been integrated into our mission and structure since the organization’s inception. In continuing this youth-centered approach, GRS is excited to announce the formation of the inaugural GRS Youth Advisory Committee: an advisory and advocacy body composed entirely of GRS Coaches and staff members who are former Coaches from the communities in which GRS works. Youth advisory committees are included in USAID’s recommended youth engagement strategy to solicit continuous input and feedback from youth, to directly involve them in decision-making processes, and to create opportunities for young people to learn from and engage their counterparts.“Youth are the center of Grassroot Soccer,” said GRS Zambia Coach Mukuku, a member of the Committee. “Their voice and leadership is critically important as it shapes the information, styles, language, and approaches that GRS takes in developing programs.”

Extra Time: GRS News & Happenings

2022 Changemaker Cup Raises £100,000 for GRS Programming!Last week, GRS supporters and several special guests took to the pitch at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, the historic home of Queens Park Rangers F.C., for the 2022 GRS Changemaker Cup — battling it out for the title of Champion Changemaker and raising £100,000 for GRS programs! We are deeply grateful to all who supported the event and laced up their boots to #PlayItForward for adolescent health.

GRS Highlighted as a Leading Innovator in Social and Emotional LearningGRS is excited to be one of 13 innovators from across the globe featured in the latest Social & Emotional Learning Policy Report from HundrED and The LEGO Foundation! This resource highlights relevant research and showcases successful solutions for equipping youth with critical social and emotional skills.