SIX age groups are set to mix it up as Cordillera Goshen Land Football Club in cooperation with the City of Baguio brings in the 2016 edition of the Sumvac Football Tournament at the Mevin Jones Football ground.
The seven-a-side football tournament will be an avenue for grassroots football programs in the Cordillera to practice, learn, and prepare for upcoming sports meet in the region.
“It will be an exciting tournament and we hope that kids will have fun through sports before the end of the summer break,” said CGFC coach Aries Bocalan.
The one day tournament will feature the 10 under mix, 12 under mix, the 14 under mix and the 16 under boys caterogy.
Several teams from outside Baguio are also expected to crowd the ladies and the men’s open category.
The men’s open, according to Bocalan has the most number of participants with 16 while the ladies side will see four teams and 10 participants in the age group competitions.
CGFC in partnership with Milo Summer Sports Clinic is also conducting a football clinic which started May 23 until June 3, also at the Melvin Jones football grounds.
The clinic is using the Fifa grassroots football program as the instructional approach.
Baguio’s top coaches and former national standouts Bocalan and Gatan Dalang are part of the coaching staff and assisted by current college varsity players who was also a graduate of the club's football program.
Under the Fifa approach, grassroots football should present the two basic concepts of football: cooperation and opposition and explains grassroots football is an excellent means of physical, motor, psychomotor, mental and social training.
Football’s international governing body also gives premium importance to the role of parents in grassroots football, known as the Parents' Code which is to encourage rather than force or oblige and the saying "remember that children play football for their own enjoyment, not for that of their parents.” (Roderick Osis)