Help Coach Bright Allinor with His Soccer Academy

My name is Bright Alinor Akanuva, I am a soccer coach who has been coaching in the New York city area for the past 12 years. Originally from Ghana West Africa, I came to the United States as a teenager with a dream to pursue my education and to follow my dream of becoming a professional football player. After high school I went on to play Division I soccer at Stony Brook University. During my my second year, I sustained an ACL injury which painfully brought my dream of going pro to an end. I was heart broken and decided to stay away from the game. But after two years of self-reflection, I realized my purpose and passion of the game was bigger than me. All the life lessons I had learned made me a better person and was blessed to have a worth of information that I needed to pass onto the next generation. Even though I could not make it as a pro, I can help others realize their dreams through soccer.

Growing up in Ghana we learned to play on the streets, improving on our skills by try and error, we wished we had coaches and the right environment to thrive and succeed. Coming to America, I had the opportunity to learn and expand my knowledge of the game through playing, coaching courses and self-education.

I went into coaching early 2008, coaching players of different age and skill levels, coached travel and private classes. I feel blessed to have been in a position to help the development of other youngsters with the same passion I had as a young boy to achieve their dreams of becoming better players and humans. During the past years, I have had the desire to return home to Ghana with the aim of setting up a football academy. To provide an environment where the youth can be given a good education and life skills through soccer.

I remember when I was in the eighth grade in my hometown, the sixth graders had a school tournament but they did not have a coach to train them. I stepped in, trained them and we came in second place. It has always inspired me and has been a motivation that got me into coaching. From then I have always said to myself that one day I will build a school to help the children in my community. Education is a necessary foundation in every child’s development, and that begins with having an environment where children can learn, play, have the ability to learn new skills and evolve into positive contributors to their communities, nation and the world.

With all that is going on around us now, I have decided to not hold back anymore but to take that leap of faith in making that dream a reality. Although it is risky and I am stepping into the unknown with such a bold project. I believe and know that life is all about taking a risk by pushing oneself to the limit. So, I have decided to take on that challenge by moving to Ghana at the end of August 2021 with the goal of starting my football academy in my hometown. To provide the youth in the surrounding areas an opportunity of a good education through Soccer.

I come from a town called Akpossokubi in the Oti region, which is located in the north eastern part of Ghana. An area where most children do not get the opportunities as those close to or living in the big cities such as Accra or Kumasi.

The school will begin with elementary to middle school gradually progressing to a high school. It will be a boarding school where older children from other surrounding areas can stay on campus.

The school will focus on the arts as well vocational skills for the students. The goal is to make sure that each student will be able to earn a craftmanship so that they can have the option of whether to pursue higher education, sports or develop a skill in a craft they can purse. I have already begun with the process by securing five acres of land and have been shipping back home books and soccer equipment.

With your help beginning this fall of 2021 we can begin the next phase which will be the building of infrastructures, such as hostels, classrooms and recruitments of staff. My goal is to begin training in the fall and have the school running by the end of the year. With your generous donations and support we can begin the manifestation of this project. There will be updates on the progress as we move forward into the future.

Thank you all in advance, much love and blessings!

Coach Allinor