Genesis in Africa: Academy Director Phil Brogan on USTA's January 2009 Trip to Ghana

Prior to travelling to Ghana in January, 2010, Bob and I prepared ourselves by studying Ghanaian Culture and history, as well as the history of African Football. After countless hours of academic preparation and conversation, we both felt reasonably prepared to handle the cultural and footballing differences that we would experience in Ghana. We both overestimated our preparedness. No amount of academic research, study or conversation could have prepared us for the practical realities that we encountered when we arrived at the Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium.

Registration for the clinic was scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 16th. On our trip from Accra to the Stadium our local administrator, Abraham Armah, received a phone call from Stadium Security that by 11:00 a.m. there were more than 300 boys awaiting our arrival in the Stadium Stands. By the official starting time, five hours later, as we entered the stadium we received a standing ovation from more than 1200 boys ranging in age from 8-19 years of age. These boys were prepared to perform and filled with that most precious of emotions, hope.

As you can imagine, our well-prepared plans were rendered moot. Bob quickly began to work with Abraham to identify options to provide room and board for three times our expected number, while the training staff, comprised of Lewis Ken-Kwofie, Patrick Upton and myself, strategized as to how we could offer each player the opportunity to showcase their talents in a crowd of more than one thousand. We did not want to short shrift any of the players. We were so buoyed by the unbridled enthusiasm of the players that our task quickly became a labour of love.

Once organized, the players began their dance of 7 v 7 under the white hot Ghanaian sun. The enthusiasm and talent on display cooled the air and unveiled a level of ability unlike any I have encountered in world football. While we expected a certain degree of physicality and athleticism, our expectations were exceeded. The boys' natural athleticism, footballing acumen and unlimited creativity marvelled and invigorated us. Soon we all realized the tragic reality these boys face. These children were born to play the beautiful game on the world stage, but they are limited by the poverty they inherited, a poverty that suffocates opportunity and wrests hope from the grasp of talent.

In Manchester I have worked with and recruited boys of outstanding talent who have either played for Manchester United's First Team or will do so in the near future. However, I wish to stress that the boys Bob and I met in Ghana are the best players I have ever seen. Their raw talent is unbelievable. I found myself repeating this assessment on a daily basis. Bob, who is known by those close to him for his clinical, sobering and often hyper critical assessment, walked around in wonder, all smiles for days.

The response and interest of the boys and the people in the area is so genuine. Ghana is a nation of happiness and peace, but it is riddled with extreme poverty. Football is often viewed as the only 'way out' of such impoverishment. Bob expressed that the poverty we witnessed in Ghana was far worse than he had seen in the favelas in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Bob was also adamant that the standard of play was also higher in Ghana than in Brazil.

Ghana won the World U'20 tournament in late 2009, and having witnessed the tournament I assure you their emerging young players are very exciting. Many of the U'20s recently led Ghana to the Championship match in the African Cup of Nations.

I would like you to understand though that their recent success has been achieved with millions of children not having access to opportunity. We witnessed thousands of boys playing on any stretch of wasteland available. On our next visit, we intend to travel into these areas, which we have geographically outlined, to give these boys an opportunity that they would never have under normal circumstances. In our brief 8 days among them, we caught a glimpse of the good that we can provide and the daylight the boys are looking for to improve their lives. We had to constantly assure them that we were coming back within a few months and that those not selected for the start-up of our Academy would have future opportunities.

It is very possible that we missed many boys in our selection; assessing thousands of boys is never an easy operation, our final count had us assessing two thousand players. I have never witnessed a response of enthusiasm and talent so vast. This is a long-term project. With the right connections and mechanisms in place on the ground in Ghana, we will be able to enrich the lives of hundreds of families in Ghana.

One person we were extremely fortunate to meet was Isaac Paha (Coach Paha). He is the 'Bobby Charlton' of the area, a true legend. He is an ex-captain of the Ghanaian national team, an ex-Assistant Manager of the national team, ex-Women's Head Coach of the national team and recently the Head Coach of the U'17s. Due to take up a new position on the Cape Coast and relocate with his family, he was initially sceptical of our motives and intentions. After visiting the clinic and seeing our work and interaction with the players first hand, Coach Paha's face lit up with enthusiasm and excitement that matched the boys. He told us, "This is what we've needed for years. He invited the media to attend, and subsequently Skyy TV produced a 7 minute slot that went out, not only to millions of people in Ghana, but across the whole of West Africa. Paha was so enthused by our project that he has come on-board as the Academy Director in Ghana.

Coach Paha has provided us with instant credibility. With his name recognition, personal quality and experience in Ghana and across Western Africa, we are already gaining the appropriate access to the Ghanaian F.A., and various experts on the ground that can 'oil the wheels'. This will provide the momentum to build an Academy respected not only in Ghana, but across Africa. While our intention is to provide talented players with the opportunity to play professionally in Europe and South America, the core values of our Academy will be rooted in academic opportunity, proper nutritional intake and character.

Bob and I are currently in negotiations at the Director level with European and South American clubs to provide the necessary affiliations so that discovered players can be given their opportunity. Many of these contacts are clubs and people with whom I have worked and who trust my judgment.

Bob and I believe we have highlighted outstanding players from 13 - 16 years that are ready and available to us. Prior to expansion, players 8 - 11 years will be the foundation of the Academy. These are outstanding and potentially exceptional talents that I believe are way ahead of the boys I coached and trained at Manchester United boys. I don't say this lightly, as we have boys that compare favourably across Europe. However, we are aware that few boys go on to play professionally, so we will endeavour to give them a valuable education in Ghana, with the desire of improving their daily lives. Bob has already begun to develop an educational network across the United States to place boys in private high schools and colleges. The vision we share is the use of sport for the enrichment of the lives of our players and their families.

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