This month we got to catch up with our founder, Paul Dreisbach, to find out what he has been up to, what his future plans are for Petrichor, and his thoughts on women’s football in Cameroon.
Question:
You were part of the panelists for the Africa Sports Unified Business Series, how was that experience?
Answer:
It was an honor to be invited and meet some great leaders in the space of youth football development in Africa, especially on the girls side. I was able to hear about other approaches, share what the barriers are to organizations like ours and talk about how our model stands apart.
I look forward to speaking more about our part in developing models for growth and scalable structures for youth around Africa.
Q:
What inspired you to work in girls football?
A:
We started out with the goal of building framework, structure and support for local clubs and academies in Cameroon. While this still is true, we have focused on developing the girls game more over the past few years. Part of our member requirements is that our clubs build girls teams. By creating these opportunities that girls have been waiting for, we have become the largest girls initiative in Cameroon.
The inspiration comes from creating equal opportunities for girls and creating access to the game that addresses cultural and other issues with girls playing sport in Cameroon.
Q:
How has it been working with the youth in Cameroon?
A:
Working with the youth themselves is what makes it all worth it! Seeing them develop as players and people through lessons learned in sport is a big focus of ours. The kids are respectful, fun, eager to learn, and willing to work to become better.
Q:
What do you feel needs to change in football development in Cameroon/Africa?
A:
There needs to be more accountability from the top down to the bottom. Funding, education and program support need to be more accessible. Resources rarely make it down to the programs it is supposed to which stunts development and keeps a broken cycle going.
Player and coaching pathways, league development, and structure need to be developed in a way that can scale, be adapted by each region to unify the sector. It is a very fractured system that is operating in silos. The ecosystem needs to adapt a unified structure that is equal and fair to each child that wants to enter and move through it.
Q:
Tell us more about how the partnership with La Liga started.
A:
We began talking with La Liga many years ago about possible partnerships. They have similar goals for football development as Petrichor so the time was right when we were launching the first ever youth girls league [in Cameroon.] La Ligue D’Égalité was the perfect project to launch together and it has become a stand-out model for girls football league structure and women's coaching education.
It took a few years of relationship development and doing our work well for La Liga to notice. As a global brand, they are careful with who they work with and it requires following through, doing quality work, and maintaining standards of quality and professionalism.
Q:
If you were to choose another country in Africa to work in, which one would it be?
A:
I would love to see our model replicated and trained in each region around Africa! There is a long way to go in Cameroon so I’m not sure if or when growth to other countries will happen. With that said - it makes the most sense to move into countries around Cameroon, then to countries that we have good partnerships with. Congo, Central African Republic, and Gabon are potential candidates.
Beyond surrounding countries I would like to see what football youth culture is like in North Africa, South Africa and East Africa.
Q:
What does the future look like for women in Football in Africa?
A:
The future is bright and many programs are moving the women's game forward. I think more focus will bring in sponsorships, partners and clubs that help professionalize the women's game. There are currently professional women’s leagues around Africa and many strong national teams. As the level continues to improve on the top level we have to build structures underneath it. Petrichor programs build youth player structures that will help players move through the system into the professional game. Without programs like this there is no clear way for kids to develop and join top level teams.
Q:
Any plans for the future with Petrichor?
A:
The biggest points of growth are:
- Build our future Petrichor Home. We want to complete and use our home pitch and training building to bring in club revenue, host educational events, and become the standard for Cameroon youth football development.
- Lead in the space of youth development in Africa. Speak on more panels, events, and interviews that can help spread the model with hopes of creating a wider network of clubs using it around Africa.
- Find the right partners that can take Petrichor to the next level. We need financial, branding, and educational partners that can help us grow this model.
- Build the capacity of the Petrichor team. Train and hire leaders that can help us replicate Petrichor along with bringing on local sponsors to buy into the project.
Q:
Any advice for people who want to run sports organizations?
A:
- Get started. This is a hard part but you have to take the first step.
- Think through the model well and be willing to adapt/change as you need to. Your organization needs to truly serve who you are there for.
- Find great leaders you can trust. You need people that you can build into and help train others.
Q&A conducted by Nozibusiso Sibiya