Together with Football Beyond Borders and Nike, Marcus Rashford has developed a ground-breaking initiative called “Play Forward” that aims to instill self-belief in the next generation of young people.

Curriculum team at FBB collaborated with Marcus Rashford and Nike to create the Play Forward curriculum, which uses football to help 11 and 12 year olds realise their own superpowers, build strong relationships, and dare to dream big.

Marcus and I collaborated to determine his own piece of wisdom for the coming generation. The curriculum covers a number of themes, such as the value of community, confidence and self-belief, goals and visualisation, abilities and strategies. With the help of a reliable, dependable, and relatable adult in their lives, we envision a world in which all youth may flourish in regular education. With Play Forward, we are embarking on this path with youth in Year 7. Marcus stated on the show:

“It is a privilege to have collaborated with the staff at Football Beyond Borders and Nike to bring ‘Play Forward’ to reality. I have been working for many years to build a plan for the next generation of football players. “Play Forward” is about developing a self-believing mindset and accepting each person’s inherent potential. I’m eager to watch everyone in action.

Over the course of a 12-week programme, Play Forward is taught by us at community centres and FBB partner schools through our delivery partner, Manchester Young Lives, in two-hour weekly on/off-pitch sessions. The young people are invited to a graduation ceremony at the conclusion of each 12-week programme, where they can interact, reflect, and enjoy their journey.

Play Forward prioritises social emotional learning techniques to help young people develop their ability to make better decisions, interact with others more effectively, and learn how to control their emotions. This aligns with our theory of change and helps young people making the transition to secondary school reach their full potential both in the classroom and on the playing field.

We appreciate Nike supporting this project with a £1,000,000 investment spread over 5 years, beginning in Greater Manchester, the home city of Marcus Rashford, and expanding to London and Birmingham with an emphasis on underprivileged areas.