An award-winning football coach and author of the book “Soccer Starts at Home” visited the Philippines with a clear mission: to introduce the game of soccer to children at a very young age.
A significant crowd gathered to hear Tom Byer speak in Cebu on Monday night, where he shared his insights on teaching soccer to young kids. Byer then traveled to Manila later in the week to conduct his renowned “Football Starts at Home” program.
Byer’s first stop was Bright Academy in Banilad, followed by a session at the University of the Philippines Film Center in Quezon City.
Approximately 200 children and their parents attended the event at the UP Theater. The lecture, held in partnership with the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and the National Capital Region Football Association, saw Byer presenting his ideas and lessons in a dimly lit setting.
Earlier, Byer shared his expertise with the Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA).
In both lectures, Byer emphasized the importance of involving parents and educators in teaching children aged 3 to 8 the essential skills of soccer, including receiving, releasing, retaining, and running with the ball.
During the lecture at the UP-Diliman campus, Byer brought two groups of children on stage to demonstrate the necessary skills to the parents.
“We’re not advocating coaching 2, 3, 4, or 5-year-olds. We’re advocating educating the parents of these kids. Those who can acquire the knowledge to practice with their own children. The difference is that their development starts early,” Byer explained.
At 63 years old, Byer is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading grassroots technical coaches in soccer. His book guides parents on how to teach children as young as two years old to learn football at home.
Over the past 20 years, Byer has conducted events in more than 2,000 locations, involving a total of 500,000 children. In 2012, the ASEAN Football Federation named Byer as one of the top 10 influential foreign footballers in Japan.
