Last week, officials and representatives from the Department of Youth and Women’s Affairs (DYWA) donated over $40,000 worth of sports equipment and supplies to local high school football teams.

DYWA’s sports development coordinator Ethan Lake told Samoa News last week that four high schools were presented over $10,000 worth of donated equipment and supplies — Nuuuli Polytech, Leone, Tafuna, and Samoana.

(The donation for Faga’itua High School is on hold until the team returns from Hawai’i, where they are scheduled to play against other schools there during the next two weeks).

The sports equipment arrived in the territory through DYWA Director Jonathan Fanene’s connections from off island. Fanene is a former NFL player who has many contacts within the League as well as professional and collegiate coaches and players all over the United States.

The donated goods included jerseys, shoulder pads, NFL gloves, footballs, practice pants, and various field equipment.

In a letter addressed to all local football coaches, Lake wrote, “I hope all is going well with your individual programs and I hope the racks and benches you received from Alema Teo are benefiting your teams. In addition to these items you already received, Alema also sent down some youth football equipment such as helmets and shoulder pads. Unfortunately, since these are youth equipment, Alema has asked that they be given to the youth program (AYFS).”

Lake explained to the coaches that Fanene was able to secure equipment and sports items through his own contacts in the States and recently had it shipped to the territory on his own.

Once the DYWA director returned from the recent Pacific Games, the items were distributed to the teams last week.

In addition to helmets, pads, and old uniforms, Fanene was also able to obtain a couple of sleds, running gauntlets, and linemen chutes.

In his letter, Lake requested each head coach to schedule a day and time when they can all sit down with their coaches and meet the DYWA staff, including Fanene, “so that we can have an in-depth one on one meeting to cover equipment, program development and challenges of your programs, including current field and facility concerns, coaches pay/stipend, and upcoming events.”

For the meeting, all coaches are requested to bring a completed registration form for their team and coaches, a team roster (junior varsity and varsity squads), current equipment inventory, an equipment letter (detailing any requests for specific types and quantity of equipment their programs need), and a four-year development plan.

Lake said the goal of DYWA is to ‘empower’ the local youth through sports, and their office continues to carry out this mission as much as they can. More information can be obtained by contacting the DYWA main office at 633-2835.