Play Football Make Peace

Parnu Peace Dream Cup 2009

June 25 –June 28

The Parnu Peace Dream Cup is now in its seventh year, and has grown to become the largest tournament in the Baltics. It is organized by the local Parnu football club, FC Vaprus, with the Peace Dream Foundation becoming involved in the last three years. The tournament has successfully attracted teams from neighboring countries including Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine and Finland. This year, 94 teams attended with about 1400 participants, including players aged from 9 through 16. This also included a girl’s competition for 15 and under.

The Peace Dream Cup is the top prize and is the tournament of the oldest group of boys, those born in 1993/94.

FC Levadia goes on to win the Peace Dream Cup

The tournament promotes peace through football. The Peace Dream Football motto: Play Football, Make Peace has been used during the last three years.

The tournament t-shirts had Peace Dream Cup printed on the back together with the principles of the Peace Dream Football signature educational programme, the Way of True Champions:

Play Fair

Maintain Position

Develop Excellence

Build Teamwork

Create Excitement

The t-shirts were very popular and several sizes had to be quickly reordered

The Peace Dream Cup t-shirt

The tournament officially begins with the teams marching in a parade from the town center to the Kalevi football stadium.

The parade begins in the Parnu town square

The teams enter Kalevi Stadium

A social service project is part of the Social Responsibility experiential learning programme. Peace Dream Football takes its lead from the Peace Dream Foundation’s overall vision to “ease the suffering of poverty, disease and conflict,” and supports many kinds of social service activities in different countries.

In Estonia, there is a strong interest in the environment, and Peace Dream Estonia has organized park clean-ups in Parnu 2008 and 2009.

Peace Dream Football international director, Robin Graham, plants a " rose tree for peace"

The tournament also holds an introduction to the Way of True Champions for coaches on the Friday evening. The presentation emphasizes the importance of football coaches in developing the physical proficiency of the young players, and the opportunity to help the players to play their best, yet to do so whilst exhibiting sportsmanship, and maintaining respect and care for one's opponents. The Way of True Champions teaches that though not everyone can be a champion footballer, everyone can be a champion in life.

Coaches listen to the Way of True Champions presentation given by Peace Dream Football

Estonia coordinator, Avo Martinson

Coaches shared the Peace Dream Cake after the presentation.

A beach soccer exhibition match between Finland and Estonian national teams took place on Saturday. [The Estonian National Beach Soccer Team wears Play Soccer Make Peace on its kit]. Later in the evening teams from a musician’s non-profit group, the youth football coaches, and the tournament organizers played in a beach soccer knock out.

The tournament ended with trophies for the winning teams and awards for Fair Play and for Best Player for the different age groups.

The crowd waits for the prize giving

Volunteers for the Peace Dream  tournament

The tournament results can be found at www.summercup.ee