NAC Breda has joined the European Football for Development Network

NAC Breda has joined the European Football for Development Network

EFDN is proud to welcome NAC Breda as the 33^rd member of the European Football for Development Network.

NAC Breda is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda and founded in 1912. The club’s current ground is the Rat Verlegh Stadium, which is named after NAC’s legendary player Antoon ‘Rat’ Verlegh. After 15 successive seasons in the Dutch top tier, NAC Breda was unable to avoid relegation after the 2014/2015 season. In 1921, NAC celebrated one of its greatest achievements, when becoming Dutch football champion. Winning the KNVB Cup Final in 1973 was another highlight in NAC’s history. NAC Breda is known in Europe for their loyal fan-base.

Through their widespread community and social efforts, NAC will make a great addition to the Network. NAC sees it as their mission to work for a healthy and vital life, encourage talent development and promote respectful coexistence in the city of Breda. The club and its partners from civil society organisations, educational institutions, commercial partners and public authorities realise the mission through the delivery different social programmes.

Currently, NAC’s foundation Teamplay@NAC delivers five community programmes, which address different social problems. The ‘NAC Street League‘ is a football competition for Boys (NAC Junior Street League) and Girls (NAC Ladies Street League) aged from 12 to 16 years. The games are played with a specially developed scoring system, which determines that bonus points can be earned through positive social behaviour. The programme ‘Playing for Success‘  is designed for students who experience difficulties in school due to social or emotional reasons. In order to support the children and young adults from the age 9 to 23, the NACADEMY has been opened in 2009. With over 600m2 the NACADEMY is one of Europe’s biggest study support centre in a football stadium. Every week, young people from different levels of education visit the learning center to follow individual programmes. The programmes shall motivate the students that they return with newly gained confidence to their schools. The inspiring surroundings of the stadium and the interaction with NAC’s players and trainers ensure an enjoyable learning environment.

NAC Breda also delivers a Walking Football programme in Breda. The ‘NAC OldStars‘  programme runs for a period of 20 weeks and consists of sessions that are specially adapted to the physical conditions of the participants. The project encourages a healthier lifestyle and offers different social activities.

The fourth community programme is the employment project ‘Nobody Offside’. This programme offers job seekers the opportunity to gain work experience in the inspiring environment of the Rat Verlegh Stadium. The initiative has been developed in cooperation with the ATEA Group. During a course of three months, several candidates gain work experience in the facilities of NAC Breda. Next to working at the stadium, the participants receive courses and coaching sessions in the NACADEMY.

The final fifth social programme is called ’NAC in the Neighbourhood’ and follows the aim of supporting local stakeholders and their initiatives by providing them with advice, materials and use of space. It is important that the initiatives activities are central to NAC’s policies. Noteworthy activities are: Cruyff Courts Champions 6 vs 6, National Reading Week, National Sports, Healthy School Breakfast, King Games, G-fakes and Sports in the District.

EFDN is proud to welcome NAC to their network and is looking forward to a successful cooperation.