Introduction and welcome by the Youth FA’s President, Fr. Hilary Tagliaferro

17 May Introduction and welcome by the Youth FA’s President, Fr. Hilary Tagliaferro

We may recall that the long history of the Youth F.A. started with the founding of the Educational Sports Centre at Marsa in l972. That was the very first nursery in Malta. Hundreds of Children attended once or twice a week to train in football, basketball, athletics and gymnastics.

Slowly but truly, the early eighties gave birth to the football nursery practically in every small and big town in Malta. The Youth F.A. was established in 1982 comprising first 8 nurseries and clubs progressing rapidly to the present day. Each nursery caters for children from 6years to 17year old youths. Nearly each nursery participates in Under 10 & 12 Festivals as well as in U/14 & U/16 Competitions. The aims of the educational sports center, as the name denotes, was to educate children through sports. Although the Youth F.A. and all the nurseries do not refer directly to education in their names, the spirit of the aims remain those of forming the characters of children and youths through the game of football. Pele’ used to say that a player needs first to become a Man and then a Player. Unless there is a sense of sacrifice and obedience to the laws of the Game and Coaching discipline any child with the best talent in the world will never become a total player.

We in the Youth Football Association strongly believe this and we address all our efforts to form a strong character of all the children who take part in all our competitions so that we build the Maltese citizens of the future. While doing this we aim too, with the help of good and qualified coaches as well as a sound administration system, to build and develop the football talents that the Maltese children undoubtedly possess.

I am sure that this website will continue to link further the work of the Youth FA with it’s member clubs and develop new channels of communication with others both local and foreign.

Article by Youth FA
Photo by Times of Malta