2nd Goal Project Inauguration Fiesta

Hafa Adai!

Guam Football Association cordially invites you to an Inauguration Fiesta celebrating the completion of GFA and FIFA’s 2nd Goal Project on Saturday, 12 September 2009 at the GFA Headquarters & Training Facility. Festivities will begin at 2pm with a motorcade and parade of Colors, and a Ribbon-cutting at 2:30pm.

Our fiesta also marks a historic event for GFA, as this is the first visit from a high-ranking FIFA official to Guam. FIFA Vice President Reynald Temarii will be our special guest during the festivities which includes the motorcade, Parade of Colors (clubs) onto the main field, remarks by honored guests, Presentation of Gifts to the clubs, Ribbon-cutting, fiesta dinner then Jamboree style games for youth, Men’s futsal and Women’s beach soccer.

Since attaining full membership in Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in 1996, FIFA’s assistance has been instrumental in helping GFA to further develop and solidify our presence on Guam. FIFA has provided assistance via its Financial Assistance Program (FAP) and Goal Projects.

From FIFA’s website “The Financial Assistance Programme (FAP) is designed to motivate and empower the associations … to organise development programmes that meet their needs and strengthen football and its administration in the long term. FIFA offers financial assistance and technical advice specifically with this purpose in mind. The FAP is intended to encourage the investment of funds in long-term development initiatives and to advocate the principles of accountability and good governance in financial matters".

“Goal is a development programme created by the President of FIFA for the benefit of member associations with special needs, FIFA promotes the independence and professionalisation of its member associations through the construction of a "house of football". The Goal Programme is an expression of solidarity that provides the associations” with funding for “tailor-made projects, such as the construction of association headquarters, technical centres, natural and artificial turf pitches and football schools. Where possible, projects are carried out in collaboration with the confederations and government authorities”.

Completed in 2005, GFA’s 1st FIFA Goal Project was our “house of football” -the original office building and the main and middle fields.

The 2nd FIFA Goal Project were: upgrades to the existing building; a two-storey building which houses new offices and conference room; a 20-bed dormitory, coaches apartment and a covered lanai; 182-stall paved parking lot and entrance gates; and two outdoor Futsal courts.

In addition to youth soccer games in the Spring and Fall, GFA’s facilities are also home to men’s and women’s leagues as well as a training ground for seven national teams, both youth and adult.

The 23 team, 345 player strong men's division has one year round season in the spring and fall. Comprised of Division 1 and Division 2 groupings each division names a champion for the season. The season ends with an “FA Cup” competition to crown an overall men’s league champion.

The women's league consists of three seasons. They normally play a seven a-side small field season in the spring, an eleven a-side full field season during the summer, and conduct an indoor league in the fall. There are currently 9 teams with 145 registered players in the women's division.

Team Guam continues to participate in many international events such as the :

Boys/Girls Under 13 and U14 Football Festivals,
Boys/Girls U15 and U16 tournaments,
Men/Women U18 and U19 tournaments,
Men’s/Women's Asian Championship Qualifiers,
Men’s/Women’s East Asian Championship Qualifiers.

In 2009 alone, a record number of seven national teams will be competing in off-island tournaments. Guam Football Association national teams have consistently shown improvement; most recently was our Men’s historic win in the East Asian Championship Qualifier in 2009 held on Guam.

With the completion of the 2nd goal Project, GFA now has adult and youth futsal games and soon beach soccer right on the grounds.

With FIFA’s guidance as well as the support from our local government, the sport of football has grown very quickly on Guam and the Guam Football Association continues to take major steps to increase not only participation, but also the quality of the coaches, officials, and administrators. Foreign coaches have been hired to direct coaching and the men and women's national teams. A great deal of assistance is provided by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in that regard with a number of seminars and training sessions for all involved.