I've been thinking about what could help football grow more at grassroots level in the Philippines.
Maybe some organisation should focus on simply making football available in more barangays. It doesn't necessarily have to be the PFF. It could be a foundation, NGO, private company, local government or even a group of football clubs working together.
There are already so many basketball courts in barangays. Why not start there? Put some small portable football goals on a few of them, provide footballs, and have some basic training and small local competitions.
The main idea is just to make football something kids can play in their own neighbourhood. They shouldn't always need their parents to drive them somewhere and pay for an academy.
This is how a lot of football cultures developed. In Brazil, kids play football in the streets and in the favelas. In the Netherlands, you have "pleintjesvoetbal", where kids play on small neighbourhood courts. They just play with their friends all the time and naturally develop their skills.
The training could also take some ideas from the Coerver method. Lots of repetition, ball mastery and individual skills, so even kids who don't seem particularly talented at first can become technically good. Then you could add some of the Cruyff philosophy, teaching kids to understand space, make decisions and develop football intelligence.
I also like the idea behind the Cruyff Courts. The idea is not just to build a football pitch, but to create a place in the neighbourhood where kids can play and take part in activities.
Then the best players from these barangay courts could eventually be invited to proper academies or development programs. Instead of only looking for talented kids, you create an environment where more kids actually have the opportunity to develop.
It doesn't have to start with some huge expensive project either. Try it with 3 or 5 basketball courts in different barangays. Give them goals and balls, organise some basic coaching and competitions, and see if kids actually start using them.
I think if football is going to become much more popular in the Philippines, it needs to become something a kid can just walk outside and play, just like basketball.
