2 November 2006
VIDEO: The FA's Young Leaders in Botswana

Watch some highlights of The FA Young Leaders and their trip to Botswana for the Changing Lives, Saving Lives project.


The FA continued its successful drive to develop the game at all levels around the world with two workshops in Botswana last week.

Four young leaders - Kirsty Dunleavy from Cornwall, Lauren O’ Sullivan from Bristol, Christopher Rees from Stafford and Marcus Strudwick from Bradford - travelled to Africa during half-term to work on The FA’s International 'Changing Lives, Saving Lives' Project.

Kirsty, Lauren, Christopher and Marcus were selected from 100 youngsters who took part in The FA Young Leadership Camp back in July.

They were put through their paces, but the quartet did not disappoint, guiding a group of 25 female teenagers through an FA Junior Football Organisers (JFO) course and integrating HIV/AIDS education games into the training.

Their hard work culminated in two highly successful football festivals, where more than 100 school girls were given their first taste of playing the game.

Kirsty, Lauren, Christopher and Marcus were supported by Nick Levett and Donna McIvor of The FA Football Development department and John Heathcote, a member of The FA’s National Faculty which is responsible for writing courses for teachers and coaches working schools.

"The delivery of the FA JFO workshop went incredibly well with the young leaders from Botswana proving to be very positive and open minded,” said Levett, The FA’s School-Club Link Manager.

“Their ability to develop and learn new skills, and the progress they made when working with the school children at the festivals was not far short of spectacular.

“Credit must go to Marcus, Chris, Lauren and Kirsty who proved to be fantastic leaders themselves. They excelled in transferring their leadership skills to others, while receiving excellent mentoring from John.”

In light of The FA’s campaign to get more girls playing the game, and running parallel to the JFO training, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) benefited from a women’s football development workshop.

The seminar was led by Rachel Pavlou, the newly-appointed National Football Development Manager for Women and Girls, and Heather Cowan from the Birmingham FA.

The course participants, comprising coaches, referees, administrators, were given a detailed insight into how the female game has progressed in England before being asked to identify the challenges that they face as they try to raise the profile of women’s football in Botswana.

Rachel Pavlou said: “I was very impressed by the quality of candidates with whom we worked.

“Having experienced the development of the women’s game first-hand in England, and the struggle for recognition that girls’ and women’s football has sometimes had to endure, I was genuinely moved by the dedication and enthusiasm of the course participants in Botswana.

“Women’s football in Botswana is very much still in its embryonic stage, but we have no doubt that it will eventually flourish because there is a clear commitment, both from the BFA and the individuals on the course, to develop the game in the country.”

Botswana is one of The FA’s partners under the ‘UEFA-CAF Meridian Project’ which brings together European national football associations with their counterparts in Africa to assist the development of the game in the continent. The FA also works in Lesotho and Malawi.

Flick through our gallery from Botswana above and download large images, or click below to see more from our previous trip to Botswana in August...