HOLY Family College in Glenmore is positioning itself to become a centre of excellence for football following their partnership with the Durban Schools Football Association which will see the development of young talent into professional soccer stars.

The programme is open to both boys and girls and will be hosted at the school, which will be the hub for Durban Central schools. Stef Crasso, director of Durban Schools Football Association, who is also a sports administrator at the school, said the programme is not exclusive to Holy Family College learners and takes individuals from the community and other schools. “What I do is select boys and girls from various schools to represent Durban Central. We want to start the selection from the U9s which we have never done before. Once we get all the kids involved, they will play in different teams, and from those matches, we will select teams to travel to Johannesburg,” said Crasso.

The school principal, Ursulla Collings, said Holy Family College has the capacity to host such a programme and any other tournaments. She said, “Our school is central and has excellent facilities. We have a large number of our children and families who are into soccer and support Banyana Banyana and Bafana Bafana. We see soccer as a need and a central point where children need to develop in that sphere. This programme is more than about sport development; it offers a holistic approach to skills development.”

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Crasso, who has a FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine, with over 22 years of managing school sports, said that through the programme, the young stars will have the opportunity to shine on the field with the potential of being spotted by scouts. He said a number of big soccer names with a wealth of experience will assist in the coaching department. “Coach Graham Johnson is on board, and we have Marks Maponyane coming in December to look at our strikers. We are also looking at getting Bournemouth FC to visit when they tour South Africa. We have also reached out to Banyana Banyana because we wish to develop the girls’ team,” said Crasso.

The management of Holy Family College has expressed excitement at this synergy between the school and the association. The deputy head of Holy Family College, Stephen Sutherland, said, “Mr Crasso comes with a good pedigree and from the soccer fraternity. Holy Family College learners will be automatically involved, and there will be a minimal charge involved to pay coaching staff and for other necessities.”

The tournament will be held at the school for boys and girls as well as the Friendship Cup and Freedom Cup tournaments to celebrate their school’s 150th anniversary in 2025.

For more information about the programme, contact Durban Schools Football Association via WhatsApp, Stef Crasso on 063 830 6252 or email durbanschools@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can contact Holy Family College on 031 205 5083 or email reception@holyfamilycollege.co.za.

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