By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Aug. 23, GNA – HOPin Academy, an innovation hub committed to equipping young people with practical and goal-oriented skills, has trained 1,500 young footballers across Ghana under the third phase of its Plan B Project.
The initiative, dubbed “Plan B Phase III: Building Sustainable Pathways Beyond the Pitch,” was launched in Tamale to promote dual-career pathways for young footballers by combining their sporting ambitions with education, vocational training, entrepreneurship, leadership and employability skills.
Mr MacCarthy Mac-Gbathy, Chief Executive Officer of HOPin Academy, said football was a powerful platform that could open doors to education, employment, leadership and personal development, but should not be regarded as the only route to success.
In a press statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, he said: “Football can take you places, but education, skills, discipline and character will sustain you throughout your life. Plan B is about preparing you for every opportunity that comes your way.”
Mr Mac-Gbathy said whether beneficiaries eventually became professional footballers, entrepreneurs, teachers, coaches or business owners, the Academy wanted each participant to leave the programme with the confidence and capacity to succeed.
He urged the young footballers to approach the programme with commitment, discipline and an open mind, and encouraged parents, football clubs, schools and community leaders to support them in balancing sports with education and career development.
The statement explained that the initiative was informed by the reality that although thousands of young people across Ghana and Africa aspired to become professional footballers, only a small proportion eventually secured careers in the sport.
It said the training programme was designed to prepare young footballers for a sustainable future by equipping them with alternative skills and opportunities, regardless of the outcome of their sporting careers.
The training brought together representatives of 10 football clubs, four senior high schools, football administrators, coaches, community leaders and other development stakeholders.
The event also marked the formal introduction of newly enrolled beneficiaries to the programme and provided an opportunity for participants to learn about its objectives, planned activities and available opportunities throughout the implementation period.
Participants received training in career planning, life skills, entrepreneurship, safeguarding, scholarship opportunities, health education and the importance of preparing for life beyond football.
The statement noted that the sessions encouraged participants to view education and skills development not as alternatives to football but as complementary investments that could enhance their prospects both within and outside the sporting industry.
It said the initiative built on the successes of Plan B Phase II, under which HOPin Academy enrolled 1,000 young footballers and created pathways for beneficiaries in apprenticeship, education and mentorship, with support from FANT and other partners in Ghana and Denmark.
According to the statement, participants expressed appreciation for the programme and called for pragmatic policies and stronger institutional support for dual-career pathways in football, as the industry increasingly recognised the need to prepare young players for long-term personal and professional growth beyond their active sporting careers.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Solomon Gumah
Email: [email protected]
