Social Distance Football Really Goes the Distance
Social Distance Football Really Goes the Distance
When our coaches invented Social Distance Football back in April, they had no idea it would make an impact across the whole world; celebrated in the Americas, Asia and Europe. The game is a specially designed variation of football, enforcing strict social distance rules, ensuring all players wear masks and are at least two metres apart at all times. It was created after our coaches noticed that, ever since Cambodian schools closed, many children were playing football on the street without protecting themselves. Recognising they couldn’t stop thousands of kids from playing football, they decided to try and encourage them to at least do it safely.
“Cambodian kids are in a difficult position,” our Country Manager Vicheka said. “Schools have closed down for their safety but because most parents have to work that means some are looking after themselves or out on the streets playing football. Our coaches saw football being played without precautions everywhere in Phnom Penh and wanted to see if we could help. Right now there might not be many cases of COVID-19 in Cambodia, but as the Government has said, we must try and keep ourselves safe in case there is a second wave. We hope a few kids will watch this game and see there’s a safer way to play.”
Early signs are encouraging. ISF recruited a few football-loving students to try out Social Distance Football, and hear their thoughts on our version of the game. After a period of adjustment, the kids learnt to love the game, its new rules, and picked up some interesting lessons along the way. “I always love playing football, and I like this version of the game because it teaches teamwork. I’m glad to know I can play in a way which keeps me safer,” said Vattanak*, 13 years old.
We captured the very first game of Social Distance Football in a fast-paced video has since been viewed online over 150,000 times in Cambodia. It has also been shared globally, from America to Liechtenstein, and praise has come in from many people and organisations. At least 40,000 children between the age 13 and 17, have watched and shared the video. Our hope is that they will be motivated to try this safer alternative to contact sports in their own communities.
“Cambodian kids are in a difficult position. Schools have closed down for their safety but because most parents have to work that means some are looking after themselves or out on the streets playing football. We hope a few kids will watch this game and see there’s a safer way to play.”
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) praised our initiative as an “innovative” response to COVID-19. Football coaches around the world saw it and felt inspired. Christopher Lantigua, a football coach in New York, commented “this is the power of creativity, determination and most of all love, because out of chaos and despair something beautiful has risen because it was deeply necessary for the communities.”
ISF’s long time partner, Coaches Across Continents, were also very supportive of how ISF is trying to “solve a problem and imagine new ways” to play. Through CAC, we were approached byPramod Shankaran, a Program Coordinator of the global NGO, Enabling Leadership. After he saw the video, Pramod wanted to discuss how he could adapt Social Distance Football for Enabling Leadership’s ‘Just For Kicks’ programme.
We had a fun and thought provoking chat online with Pramod, who can be seen showing us his diagram of his own version of Social Distance Football, and his colleagues Rishi and Kedar. It was fascinating to share similar but different perspectives on the COVID-19 crisis, with India’s situation–and its lockdown–being more serious than in Cambodia. We all agreed some rules would need to be adapted to work in India, but pledged to stay in touch as we continued to develop our plans for using sports to reach children in an ever-changing world.
One of the most encouraging things we took from the conversation was the realization that, just like our own coaches, the ‘Just For Kicks’ team is refusing to let the virus beat them. Their programmes may be on pause, but they are using the time to develop a whole range of excellent activities, with Social Distance Football being just one of them. One of the few bright sides of this crisis has been that it has made us all realise just how interconnected we are, and we hope that this is one connection that will continue in the months ahead.
As for our own plans, we are currently revising the rules of the game to be engaging for disabled players who participate in our Football Programme. We’ve also contacted partner organisations to offer them help in developing tailored Social Distance Football games that suit their needs. Stay tuned to learn more, and thank you for your support.
