Young Footballer Gives Back with Help from the Football Foundation

Hao Xue is in Year 6 at Wellington’s Scots College. As part of his Primary Years Programme curriculum, this year he was tasked to inquire into one of his passions, find out about issues related to it, and then put his learning into action. 

Hao’s passion is football, and so that became his topic. When Hao started thinking about sustainability issues in football, he realised that one of the main problems is that not everyone can play the sport he loves, because they lack the opportunity, or the equipment. Hao realised that was linked to a wider issue: how do we reduce inequalities? 

Having identified the very same issues the New Zealand Football Foundation works with community partners to address, Hao began to think of ways he could create an action to help everyone access football equipment. And so he reached out to the Foundation, to learn more about what we do, and how he could help. 

Dr Michele Cox, CEO of the Foundation, answered Hao’s questions and then put him in contact with Capital Football Federation. Capital Football suggested to Hao that Wainuiomata might benefit from some new gear. Hao set about collecting football equipment from his local school community.  

Wainuiomata FC have now received the gear that Hao donated. The Foundation also provided a box of size 4 footballs from the FIFA Confederations Cup and a children’s equipment set (which contains 5 UEFA footballs, bibs, cones, mini goals, ball bags and whistles) to give out. 

Hao says he has “learnt the importance of caring for others that may not have the gear they need to play a sport that they love. It is important that we all look out for one another.” He is grateful to the Football Foundation, Capital Football and everyone else he has worked with to help him achieve his goal. 

The New Zealand Football Foundation aims to increase access and opportunities to football for young people. We are very proud that students like Hao are picking up on the work we do, and putting it into action in their own communities.  

“This is what our work is about – to see young people picking up on the idea that football can have an impact well beyond the field, to realise that they can play a role in helping all their peers be involved, that is so important to us,” Cox says.