Hey everyone! Welcome to Play For Goals!
I’m super excited to launch this social enterprise that aims to use football as a tool to positively impact marginalized and underserved communities.
Football is the global game and brings so much joy to people around the world, us included. I grew up in Ireland and I’ve been playing football from the moment I could stand. Whenever dad and grandad were minding me as a toddler, they could entertain me for hours by just rolling a ball for me to kick. I would literally spend as much time as possible outside in the streets with a ball. Those countless hours spent outside helped me to play at a decent club-level through school.
After graduating university I went to work in Shanghai, where the company I worked for had its own team that played in a 7-a-side league. I also played 11-a-side and Gaelic football throughout my whole 20s. I have always played on the wing or up front so scoring goals is what I’m all about! I moved to Hong Kong in 2017 and currently live between Hong Kong and Manila.
Living and working in such fast paced environments demands a lot. You need to work really hard in order to get by. I’ve always wanted to do more volunteer work but, like most people, have limited free time.
This is something I took for granted about Ireland where it is usual to have 25+ days of annual leave. In Hong Kong, where I have experienced a work ethic that is unrivalled, the annual leave can be as little as 11 days per year. I would usually spend these days going back home to visit family, which meant I would have to take unpaid leave to go and volunteer. The fact that Hong Kong is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the world was a big deterrent to take any unpaid leave.
This got me thinking – how could I create a positive impact on society without drastically altering my work schedule? Sure, I could separate my household waste and throw it in the corresponding recycling bins but is one occasional good deed going to make a difference? I can’t track how my simple deed is impacting the environment or the society.
That’s when I came up with the idea of Play For Goals – what if my personal goals could help others.
Looking back, if someone had told me that every goal I’ve ever scored (I’m 32 years old) went a little way to helping someone else, I would have felt amazing.
I didn’t think it was possible for me to love the game more than I do but this Play For Goals initiative made me treasure football even more.
Play For Goals should hopefully add further motivation for players and teams to score more goals and win games. At the end of the day, you can’t win without scoring.
Play For Goals promises to give players that power to positively impact society by doing what they love – banging in the goals! Teams can choose who will benefit from their pledges. Play For Goals will share updates and stories of how goals scored are changing lives.
So I hope you’ll join our journey and help spread the word. Let’s make the world a better place by doing what we love, playing for goals and playing for impact.
Shane
