3 Titles for Team F4L at the Leyte Interschool Invitational Sports League!

Tacloban City - Football for Life was again invited to the annual Leyte Interschool Invitational Sports League which ran from August-September 2017. Three F4L teams were registered to participate, one each under the U12 Mixed, U15 Boys, and U15 Girls categories. Players who have consistently attended our Mini Champions League every Saturday from May-July were selected to be part of the teams, as a reward to their commitment to the programme.

The sports league, which started in 2013, is hosted and organized by Bethel International School, with Mr. Paul Valberg as League Commissioner. Mr. Lito of Bethel, and also the Tournament Manager, said that the league’s purpose was "to provide opportunity and venue for communities to participate in sports tournaments, specifically in football, basketball, and volleyball, together with grassroots communities." The categories are also broader and more inclusive of children in the developmental age, giving chances to much younger players.  It was also designed to span for two months to provide more opportunity and time for participants to play and interact with other teams.

Football for Life’s teams competed in the football division for two months, playing seven Saturdays, with one or two games played each weekend until the Championship. F4L joined specifically to give players the opportunity to play with children from private schools, as opposed to the usual community teams they play with. Players reported being thrilled to play with children from other schools and expressed how different of an experience it was to be on the field with them. The players expressed their joy and gratitude for being able to play in a proper field like Bethel’s, as they usually trained in concrete or open areas, where there’s limited space and only makeshift goals.

Apart from the games, F4L used the remaining time they had in between games to continue their weekly training with their fellow F4L teammates. The side trainings were headed by our F4L Community Coaches. Overall, the league was an event the children looked forward to every Saturday, and it became their goal to make it to the championship.

As expected of their hard work, persistence, and dedication to their training, all teams of F4L proudly made it to the Finals last 30 September 2017, with the U12 Mixed Team, U15 Boys, and U15 Girls earning 2nd Place, 3rd Place, and Champions, respectively. This tournament was a fitting culmination to the F4L’s Mini Champions League, and the F4L Players were pleased with the results, as everyone went home bringing new experiences with them and were winners in their own ways. ~

Congratulations to all the participants and winners of the Leyte Interschool Invitational Sports League! We’ll train harder, and we hope to see you all again next year!
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Special thanks to Bethel International School for hosting and inviting F4L once again to their event.

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