Leadership Programs

Leadership through Soccer

Leadership through Soccer

 

 

Pele the great and the African Eagles at a soccer clinic in Soweto
Pele the great and the African Eagles at a soccer clinic in Soweto

As part of his commitment to the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI), Terry Behan is using soccer to promote social change in South Africa. Modeled after the Institute's Henry Crown Fellowship Program, ALI brings together successful young leaders ages 25­-45 from six countries across Africa to develop their leadership capacity and encourage them to apply their entrepreneurial talents to the foremost challenges of their continent. As a requirement of the initiative, each "ALI Fellow" is required to design and carry out a leadership project of his or her own choosing. For his project, Behan saw an opportunity to use the popular sport of soccer to provide underprivileged South African youth with new opportunities.

Behan launched the African Eagles soccer league with a three-year pilot program in a town near Johannesburg in 2003. "With the 2010 FIFA World Cup coming to South Africa, local companies are now willing to support soccer-related development programs," said Behan, whose project integrates professional soccer coaching, educational  mentoring, and entrepreneurial training for youth. "We believe we can create a world-class soccer academy that benefits the underprivileged, promotes holistic values, and produces talented, educated, and morally and socially minded young players who will ... make the nation proud," he said.

In early March, Standard Bank and MasterCard unveiled the new FIFA World Cup Card, with a percentage of all transactions going to the African Eagles. Proceeds are expected to reach $5 million within six years. "The monies will be utilized to help us achieve our vision for the program," said Behan, "building soccer facilities and rolling out our development initiatives in all nine provinces across South Africa."  (Read more about ALI)

Pele and Terry Behan answering questions from the kids at African Eagles soccer clinic in Soweto

Terry Behan  & Pele answering questions from the kids at African Eagles soccer clinic in Soweto 

Terry Behan and Pele launch the Standard Bank world cup credit card that will benefit the African Eagles

Terry Behan and Pele launch the Standard Bank world cup credit card that will benefit the African Eagles