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Posted By: Marty "Success is measured in the lives we change" - 03/13/12 12:44 PM

Success! It is engraved in human nature much the same as love, hate and self-preservation. In the world of football the same is observed. Success is seen as the ultimate goal for many clubs around the world. While success is important in football, the greatest sport in the world is much more than that.

Football is about building respect, good-will, discipline and friendship through one common bond. It is a very powerful, yet untapped social development tool that knows no cultural, language or racial barrier.

My Name is Darrel, I am 23 years old and I hail from the tiny Central American country of Belize. In Belize, while football is a popular sport, it is still years before it can be comparable to that played in other countries in the world, or the region for that matter. The female sport is even less developed. Of course, efforts continue to develop both gender versions at the government and national association levels. However, there are many people that voluntarily take on this challenge at the local grassroots level.

I am one such person. I am the manager of a female football team with the name Rising Starz FC. My coaching staff and I have been struggling well over a year with laying the foundation that will see the club serve as a pillar in the social development of our community and country.

In our club, while football talent and skills are important; respect, discipline and a desire to learn are equally important. As such, our members include high school and university students, wives, single mothers, teachers and other women that together form a very tight-knit social support network.

Given that most of our players are really beginners, we work tirelessly in building the club’s football credentials as we also aim to compete and win. However, while winning is important in football, what really is the value of winning if nothing is learned along the way?

The uniqueness of our club, therefore, is that success is not measured in the trophies that we win or the financial strength of the club but in the lives that we change positively. This is the gift of our football. For a club without any corporate sponsors, this support by FIFA and Kia would provide a valuable resource for Rising Starz FC to continue engaging the women in our community through football.

- deepdiver88

SOURCE: FIFA.com

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