Before a ball is kicked in any season, there are people who carried the game for years to get it here. The union took the time to honour some of them, presenting Certificates of Recognition to long-serving elders and officials at a special function, with the community there to give thanks.
These are the men and women who served the union across the decades: the administrators, the volunteers, the leaders who gave their time so that the villages would always have a place to play. Recognising them is more than a formality. It is fa'aaloalo, respect, in action, and a reminder of the shoulders the union stands on.
The path to leadership is through service, and these elders walked it. Honouring them publicly tells the next generation exactly what the union values: not just what you win on the field, but how you serve the people behind it.
To those recognised, and to all who have served the union over the years: fa'afetai tele lava. Your service is the foundation everything else is built on. Tautua mo Sāmoa.
Tautua mo Sāmoa
