Grassroots football in social sciences

Introduction

Grassroots football projects and initiatives worldwide are dealing with issues related to social development. streetfootballworld, a project of the Youth Football Foundation, defines grassroots football as all kind of football in a local community focusing on social inclusion, violence prevention and non-formal education as specific goals. streetfootballworld is based on a best practice survey that identifies the fundamental pool of projects and initiatives to develop a global network of grassroots football, accompanied by permanent research activities.

Idea

The idea of a workshop or symposium in the frame of the Preolympic Congress 2004 is to raise awarness about the potentials of grassroots football work and the chances social sciences already have by stepping into an unexplored field. The following authors have confirmed the topics for the workshop:

• Vladimir Borković: co-ordination of the workshop and presentation "streetfootballworld: global network for local develompent"
• Eliot Caton: presentation "Impact of the grassroots football movement on governmental institutions in England"
• Alejo Perez Leguizamon: presentation "Football and informal learning on `potreros` in Argentina"
• Howard Williamson: presentation "Hard to reach young people in grassroots football programmes: methodological considerations"

Consideration

Grassroots football - contradictio in adjectum - a well-known, but unexplored field of action, in real life and in social science, would continue with this workshop its way into the Scientific Community towards the first milestone in the development of the movement - a World Forum on "Football and Develompent" in the year 2006.
Contact

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information in order to explore the possibilities of an interactive and interesting scientific workshop with a strong practical component.