IMPERIAL FC LAUNCHES “STRONG MINDS” CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT DRUG ABUSE IN KADOMA YOUTH
By Azriel Chimeno
Imperial FC, a youth football club based in Kadoma, has launched a community-wide anti-drug campaign titled “Strong Minds. Bright Futures. Better Together.” The initiative marks a deliberate shift for the club, moving beyond match days to address a crisis affecting young people across the region.
Club officials say the campaign was developed after months of internal discussions about the impact of substance abuse on local talent. Imperial Fc is young, hungry, and unwilling to watch another generation lose its future to drugs. The club’s leadership describes the campaign as both a statement and a responsibility. For them, protecting players means protecting the future of Kadoma football.
General Manager Faston Maruza said the campaign reflects the club’s long-term vision. “The team has a clear vision and clear goals. At the center of that is protecting the mind. A player cannot grow if the mind is compromised. That is why we say, in all things, no to drugs,” Maruza said.
The message is direct and uncompromising: *NO TO DRUGS. YES TO GREATNESS.* It’s printed across posters, training gear, and social media posts, but club leaders say the real work happens off the field, in weekly sessions and daily conversations with players.
The campaign is built around four clear pillars that frame every training session, team talk, and community outreach event. The team teaches that the mind is a player’s most valuable asset. Drugs, the club argues, don’t build players. They dull reaction time, weaken decision-making, and erode discipline. Coaches run mental conditioning drills alongside physical training, emphasizing that focus and self-control are skills that can be trained. Players are encouraged to treat their mental health with the same seriousness as their fitness.Maruza reinforced this point: “If we protect the mind, we protect the player. Everything else follows from there.”
The club makes a clear distinction between short-term escape and long-term achievement. A high fades by morning, but a goal scored in a league match, a scholarship earned, or a contract signed lasts a lifetime. Training sessions now include goal-setting workshops where players map out academic, athletic, and personal targets for the next 6 and 12 months. The message to the squad is simple: focus today, achieve tomorrow.
Peer pressure is identified as the primary driver of early drug use among youth players. Imperial counters this by building a culture where saying no is seen as strength, not weakness. Senior players mentor younger teammates, and the club has introduced a buddy system to ensure no player faces pressure alone. “Real strength is looking a teammate in the eye and saying not on my watch,” one coach explained. The club celebrates players who intervene, speak up, and hold each other accountable.
The final pillar connects daily habits to performance. Clean lungs run faster. Clear minds think sharper. Players who stay drug-free recover quicker, train harder, and stay eligible for selection. The club tracks attendance, academic progress, and on-field performance as part of the campaign, showing players tangible proof that discipline pays off.
Beyond the squad, Imperial FC is taking the message into Kadoma schools and community centers. Players and coaches lead talks, distribute materials, and invite students to open training sessions. The club’s goal is to create a visible alternative for youth who feel they have no options.
Parents and local educators have responded positively. At a recent training session, one parent noted that the club was providing structure and identity in ways that families alone sometimes cannot. Teachers report improved attendance and focus among students involved with the club.
Imperial Fc views the “Strong Minds” campaign as the beginning of a long-term commitment, not a one-off event. The club plans to expand outreach to more schools, partner with local health organizations, and introduce regular drug-free pledges before matches. Players will wear “Strong Minds” warm-up tops throughout the season, and team captains will lead a public pledge at every home game.
Maruza closed with a direct call to the community: “We have vision. We have goals. But none of it matters if we lose our players to drugs. Our stand is simple. No to drugs.”
The club’s leadership is clear about the stakes. Contracts, careers, family, and legacy are on the line. Drugs do not care about any of it. Clean living, they argue, is how players stay in the game long enough to win.
“Our game. Our future. Our responsibility.” That line, taken from the campaign poster, now defines the club’s identity. Imperial FC is not just a football team. It is a movement led by youth, for youth, in Kadoma. The club invites other teams, schools, and community groups to join the effort. For those who do not, the message is blunt: get left behind.
