Football to inspire
During 2020 and 2021, football in Singapore was closed or operating at reduced headcount due to social distancing requirements brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. For Malcolm and his sister Caroline, who had been active footballers for 10+ years and who often trained 4-5 times per week and played on both their school and club teams, this was a difficult period of time. They found that kicking the ball against a wall at home or “Zoom training” was a poor substitute for time on the field with friends, teammates and coaches for training and games.​
Moreover, in addition to the obvious physical benefits that came from regular football training, through football’s absence, Malcolm and Caroline also realized during these times that they had benefitted greatly both mentally and psychologically from active participation in football. Learning how to be a good teammate, learning about leadership, gaining confidence from mastering a new skill, building new friendships through shared experiences – these were just a few of the areas that they missed.
Having experienced the loss of football during this time, as Covid-19 restrictions ended in Singapore in 2022, Malcolm and Caroline decided that they wanted to try to help underprivileged kids who don’t have the same access to sports that they had been been lucky to have. That led to the launch of Football to Inspire.
Football to Inspire partners with coaches, academies, NGOs and/or businesses in Asia to sponsor football camps for kids. The kids learn everything from the FIFA 11+ Kids warmup (NIH Link to Study on Benefits of FIFA Kids 11+ Warmup ) to basic drills, they play mini-games and full-side games. If the kids are younger, games like Red Light-Green Light or Telephone to teach them how to learn skills like dribbling. And most importantly, the football camps are fun!!!!
