FC FUTURES is EA SPORTS FC’s global initiative
to grow the game for all.
Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announces that their EA
SPORTS FC FUTURES initiative has opened up grassroots football to
over 170,000* people over the course of its first year and - in a
further demonstration of their commitment to growing the game for
all - unveils a new comprehensive programme, Namibia Futures, in
partnership with UNICEF. This multi-year partnership will use the
power of football to create long-lasting social change in Namibia
and beyond, reaching over 46,000 children and adolescents.
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EA SPORTS FC and UNICEF announce Namibia
Futures (Photo: Business Wire)
Half of all children in Namibia face poverty, which limits
social mobility opportunities, increases risk of exploitation and
abuse, and means that many girls in particular are unable to
complete their education. UNICEF already works with partners in the
country to provide accessible interventions for girls to gain new
life skills and occupational training to transform their prospects,
often through the platform of sports. Through Namibia Futures,
UNICEF will now reach a further 46,000 young people in Namibia,
supporting them through football and games-based training to
achieve their potential both on and off the pitch.
“We’re thrilled to expand the partnership between our two
organizations, following over five years of successful
collaboration between EA SPORTS and Soccer Aid for UNICEF,” said
Andrea Hopelain, GM & SVP of Publishing, EA SPORTS. “Through
this program, we hope to meaningfully impact many young lives in
Namibia, using the power of football and our EA SPORTS FC
platform.”
“There are 300 million adolescent girls around the world today.
With the right resources, networks and opportunities, they may be
the greatest group of changemakers the world has ever seen,” said
Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF
UK). “Our new partnership with EA SPORTS FC, Namibia Futures, will
support over 46,000 Namibian adolescents to build better futures
both on and off the football pitch. I would like to thank EA SPORTS
FC for standing by children and helping UNICEF to not only improve
adolescents' physical wellbeing, but also to develop key life
skills that help them transform their lives with our
partnership.”
This year marks five years of an incredible partnership between
EA SPORTS and Soccer Aid for UNICEF. United by a goal to help
protect play for children everywhere, EA SPORTS has helped Soccer
Aid for UNICEF to raise nearly £100m to support UNICEF’s
transformative work.
Shane Horgan, Managing Director of Soccer Aid Productions, said:
“We are delighted to be continuing our longstanding partnership
with EA SPORTS – and, indeed, deepening the hugely positive impact
that this relationship has already had on Soccer Aid for UNICEF. We
are all extremely proud to be part of such important work, which we
know will continue to help improve the lives of children around the
world.”
Across a successful first year, FC FUTURES has opened up the
beautiful game to over 170,000 people across six continents by:
- Developing and publishing a library of 7 free-to-access
practices, in partnership with UEFA, as resources for young players
and coaches to utilise in training. These FC FUTURES ACADEMY
practices are currently being integrated into 54 National Football
Associations and their Coach Education Programmes.
- Supporting the creation and refurbishment of 11 pitches
globally, from South London to Sydney.
- Providing over 12,000 footballs to grassroots clubs, coaches
and children as well as further items including boots, cones, bibs
and more.
- Partnering with multiple organisations, brands and charities
including UEFA Grassroots, the Premier League, LA LIGA and now
UNICEF, to make all of this possible and deliver programmes that
make a long-lasting impact.
- Awarding the inaugural FC FUTURES Hero Award to FC FUTURES
ambassador, Ian Wright, to recognise his outstanding work in
inspiring the world to love football, alongside a charitable
donation to a grassroots football cause.
“It’s been a busy and immensely productive first year for FC
FUTURES,” said James Salmon, Senior Marketing Director, EA SPORTS
FC. “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and we
thank our partners, our ambassadors and all the remarkable
community leaders who have helped bring FC FUTURES to life. There’s
still so much more to do to support community-level football on a
global scale, but this collaborative effort will continue to ensure
our investment is felt by local communities around the world who
will truly benefit from the power of football.”
“It’s an honour to be the recipient of the first FC FUTURES Hero
Award and I take great pride in seeing the strides the initiative
has made around the world in the past year,” said FC FUTURES
ambassador, Ian Wright. “To know that the first-ever pitch that
came from this initiative is in my old community, at my old primary
school, is a really special legacy for me and Rocky. The Rocky
& Wrighty Arena at Turnham Academy wouldn't have happened
without FC FUTURES, and it’s amazing to see the positive impact our
pitch is having on young people in the community.”
Looking ahead to year 2, in addition to Namibia Futures, FC
FUTURES will continue to launch new pitches, create and publish
more training practices, provide more playing equipment and further
expand its partnerships, so FC FUTURES can continue to grow the
game for all.
Find out more on FC FUTURES and access FC FUTURES ACADEMY, the
free digital library of training practices, here. Learn more about
the partnership between FC FUTURES and UNICEF here.
*Based on the average annual number of visitors to the Seoul
pitch; residents near the Singapore, Spain, and Mexico pitches;
users of the Rocky & Wrighty Arena and Sam Kerr pitches;
participants in FC FUTURES or FC FUTURES-partnered programs; and
number of footballs provided through partner initiatives.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital
interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games,
content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile
devices and personal computers.
In fiscal year 2024, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately
$7.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is
recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality
brands such as EA SPORTS FC™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The
Sims™, EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™, Plants
vs. Zombies™ and EA SPORTS F1®. More information about EA is
available at www.ea.com/news.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex
Legends, The Sims, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks
of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, and F1 are the property
of their respective owners and used with permission.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach
the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190
countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to
build a better world for everyone.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for
UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also
promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and
internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by
supporters.
United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered
Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).
For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on
Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
UNICEF does not endorse any brand, company, product or
service.
About Soccer Aid for UNICEF
Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2024 will take place on Sunday 9th June at
Stamford Bridge, London and will be shown live and exclusively on
ITV1, STV and ITVX.
Since 2006, Soccer Aid for UNICEF has raised over £90 million to
help children around the world have happy, healthy and play-filled
childhoods.
Right now, conflict, disasters, hunger and disease are taking
away playtime for millions of children worldwide. They are missing
out on vital opportunities to learn, interact, grow and dream.
The money raised from this year’s game could help UNICEF protect
children from disease and malnutrition, support their mental
health, and respond in times of crisis, so they can get back to
learning when schools are destroyed. It could also help provide
vaccines to prevent common childhood diseases such as measles, so
that children around the world can get the best start in life.
Category: EA Sports
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