One of the Youth FA’s priority is to strengthen the educational aspects amongst its affiliated member football nurseries, namely the administrators and technical staff, and the respective children and youths to develop not only into good footballers but grow into responsible future citizens. With our belief that grassroots programmes should be vehicles for educational, sporting and social development, the overall objective of this project is to demonstrate how football can be used as a means to unite and learn together. Throughout history, the role of the football coach had been traditionally more in focus that the role of administrator or manager, particularly the Youth Football Administrator. Due to this, the importance of having a well organised and structured football setup, with a board which has its finger on the pulse of the club’s activities, is probably underestimated. Club thinking development – not just management, is of significant importance in having long-term success. Thus, manager development and training is extremely beneficial and functional. #THE GOAL project is targeted towards fifteen (15) Youth Football Nursery Administrators to have 5 days of international exposure, and exchange of best practices on good governance and administration in youth football ranging from organisation and club administration, workforce, discipline, welfare and child protection, facility investment, social responsibility, marketing and promotion, financial management and the relationship / link between the youth club and the mother club to name just a few. The group will be hosted by Kilmarnock FC, a renowned and successful club and academy in the Ayrshire County, Scotland. In order to have a balanced participation in the project, it is envisaged that 75% of participants hail from youth football nurseries enrolled with the Youth FA who will be able to apply through an open call for applications, and 25% of participants will be Youth FA Council members who are directly involved in the administration of youth football sector in Malta. #The GOAL aims to improve the ability of a youth football administrator or manager to contribute to the good management and development of their football nursery and to a good club atmosphere, certainly contributing towards the strategic development aspect of the participants’ organisations and later filtered across the board, that is to other non-participating nurseries for the benefit of project sustainability. This project will address the following needs: - Understand better the role of an administrator - Understand the importance on long-term planning and strategic development (by also taking into consideration the technical requirements) - Gain a greater knowledge of subjects such as finances, marketing and promotion, facility investment, discipline and the concept of football social responsibility - Gain an insight into child protection, safeguarding and welfare - Encourage further the importance of teamwork and the inter-relationship that exists between roles (i.e. the administration, technical, players, parents, mother club and the football association). The above-mentioned needs will be addressed through a series of theoretical sessions, workshops, interactive discussions and site visits throughout the 5-day training programme which will be coordinated by Kilmarnock FC and communicated with the project team of the Youth FA. These will be complemented with exchange of best practices between the participants and the hosts. The expected project outcomes are: - To acquire certification from the host organisation including a Europass Mobility Certificate- Increased appreciation towards having the opportunity to meet and learn from experience of professional football clubs and academies, which are somewhat different to what is available and practiced locally - Increase in the participants’ empowerment, know-how and skills which would be reflected in their daily administrative duties back at their nursery - Increased knowhow on concepts and trends that are affecting youth football sector such as child protection and safeguarding, marketing activities, and social responsibility also as a means to address inclusion - Strengthen the working relationship with the partner organisation and the possibility of further projects in the future. The lead partner will also engage in a PR exercise intended to promote the project concept amongst its member nurseries as well as with other sports associations in Malta. Moreover this promotional activity throughout the project lifecycle will also give due attention to the Erasmus+ programme with the intention of encouraging sports organisations to tap such funding opportunities. It is expected that the participants travel to Scotland in July 2016 (subject to logistics) which is also a time when activity at the nurseries is somewhat ‘less’ busy notwithstanding the preparatory activities for the following season.