AFC GRASSROOTS CELEBRATES FESTIVAL, ART CONTEST

PRESS RELEASE – Guam Football Association wrapped up its celebration of AFC Grassroots Football Day with the official announcement of winners of its youth art contest, “Choices that are Smart are a Work of Art” Wednesday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.

“In addition to our usual event on the pitch to celebrate grassroots football, we also engaged with elementary schools that recently participated in the 2025 GFA Football 4 Schools program to kick off the theme of next year’s program, which is ‘Be a Good Citizen’ through art,” said Samuel San Gil, GFA Director of Football Events. “We received close to 200 entries from nine schools, each with many colorful and insightful messages on how our youth perceive being a good citizen in the community. 

“The entire month of May – from the GFA Football 4 Schools Jamboree on May 3 through to this art contest and the U8 Grassroots Football Festival on May 24 – was a great way to keep our young athletes involved in the sport, while also ushering in the summer season, with more opportunities in the upcoming months,” San Gil added.

Each winner of the art contest will receive an AFC Grassroots Football Day t-shirt, a Triple J Auto Group football, and other prizes. The winners of the contest from each participating school are:

• Lara Georgina Baluyut, Dominican Catholic School (overall winner)

• Manuela Sindalu, Adacao Elementary School

• Aurora Saldana Torres, Andersen Elementary School

• Avani Gonzales, Andersen Elementary School

• Nico Evangelista, D.L. Perez Elementary School

• Aeydin Bagro, Finegayan Elementary School

• Aviana Kavinski, Guahan Academy Charter School

• Mya Mafnas, Guahan Academy Charter School

• Renee Berngun, Machananao Elementary School

• Kadynel Cruz, Talofofo Elementary School

• Sejin Yeon, Tamuning Elementary School

The art contest followed the GFA U8 Grassroots Football Festival held May 24 that doubled as a feasibility study by the GFA Technical Department on ways to improve football development at the U8 level.

Some rule implementations for the festival under study included: 

• Opposing team players behind the team’s build-up line at kick off and goal restart

• Additional options for the restart from the touchline: Dribble, kick-in, or self pass

• Free kick: option to shoot toward goal or self pass

• Goal kick: option to pass to a teammate or dribble

Prior to the festival, team coaches attended a workshop May 10 with GFA Technical Director Ross Awa to understand the additional options for players during different moments of the game. The primary objective was to keep the ball in play longer and have players on the ball more during matches to better develop basic skills before moving into the U10 age division.

“I felt that my players were adjusting really well to the various rule changes – we had a total of four practices after the coaches workshop to work with the kids and they played awesome during the festival matches,” said Tiffany Babauta, Guam Shipyard Wolverines U8 coach. “They picked up the changes pretty quickly – I didn’t really have to yell at them during the matches and the games just (flowed).”

The festival came about one month after the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth League Jamboree, but in the weeks in between, practicing for the festival kept the young players involved in the sport.

“The festival was great for the kids, for them to still come out and continue to play even though the league was over,” said Bill Meeks, coach of the Sidekick SC U8 team. “Having more opportunities to play the sport year-round is always great and something I look forward to as both a coach and also as a parent. 

“For the festival, we did need to make adjustments based on the rule changes, but the players were able to catch on relatively easily. I had some doubts in the beginning, for example when the throw-ins were taken out and replaced by the different kick-in options. It was great for the kids – they were constantly moving with the ball around the field,” Meeks added.

For Kaine Cruz who played for the ASC Trust Islanders FC in the festival, he had his doubts before the matches, but enjoyed playing with the new rules by the end of the day.

“In my head, I thought why will they change the rules,” Cruz said. “But it was OK. We played better in the games. The most fun part was just playing games with my teammates and being a defender. I liked the festival and want to join again.”

The AFC Grassroots Football Day celebration across Asia revolves around eight points in the AFC Grassroots Philosophy:

• Everybody has the opportunity to play

• Players come first

• There is no discrimination

• Fair Play must be respected

• Safety is a priority

• Football is everywhere

• The action must be age-appropriate, dynamic, simple, exciting, and rewarding

• Relationships, teamwork, and skills development are key components

“As we celebrate the 12th edition of the AFC Grassroots Football Day, I am heartened to see how this occasion continues to reflect the unwavering commitment of our Member Associations and Regional Associations in expanding the reach of the beautiful game across Asia,” said AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. “Over the years, this celebration has not only championed the development of football at its most fundamental level but also embraced values that shape responsible citizens of tomorrow. As we all know, at the heart of the AFC’s Vision and Mission lies the ambition to ensure football remains the number one sport in Asia — and the first step towards that goal begins at the grassroots level. It is here that we nurture future players and leaders of the game, while instilling values such as discipline, camaraderie, and team spirit — principles whose impact extends far beyond the pitch.

“I extend my heartfelt thanks to every individual who has worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to ensure that football remains accessible to all and my sincere appreciation also to our latest partners – FIFA and the United Nations – for enabling us to expand the reach of this landmark day and empowering our MAs to deliver more transformative programmes,” the AFC President added.

Next for youth players is the 2025 Pacific Grassroots Football Festival, set for Jun. 13 to 15 at the GFA National Training Center. New this year is the addition of the U12 age division in the tournament. The tournament will feature teams from the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth League, as well as visiting teams from the Northern Mariana Islands in both the U10 and U12 age divisions.

In last year’s edition, the ASC Trust Islanders FC won the championship match over No. 2 Nemesis FC from the Philippines.