How Island Grafika Football Academy Is Using Football to Build Character, Heal Lives, and Inspire a New Generation on the Island of Samal
On an island known for its white beaches, blue waters, and breathtaking sunsets, another beautiful story is quietly unfolding.
Every weekend in the Island Garden City of Samal, young boys and girls gather on football courts and futsal floors, chasing a ball with smiles on their faces and dreams in their hearts. Some arrive carrying ambitions of becoming athletes. Others simply come looking for friends, confidence, and a place where they belong.
What they find is something much bigger than football.
They find family.
They find purpose.
They find hope.
And at the center of it all is Island Grafika Football Academy.
Where Football Becomes a Life Lesson
Many football clubs are built to develop players.
Island Grafika Football Academy was built to develop people.
Founded in 2024 by Coach Honorato “Intoy” Corpin III, the academy emerged from a simple but powerful belief: football can change lives.
Coach Intoy knows this because football changed his.
Having played the sport from high school through college, he experienced firsthand the lessons that cannot be taught inside a classroom — discipline when nobody is watching, resilience after defeat, confidence under pressure, and the ability to work with others toward a common goal.
Those lessons stayed with him long after the final whistle of his playing days.
Eventually, they became a calling.
His vision was clear: create a football environment where young people in Samal could discover not only how to play the game, but also how to become stronger, kinder, and more confident individuals.
The result was Island Grafika Football Academy — a non-profit football and futsal organization dedicated to serving the youth of Samal.
Even more remarkable, the academy provides training opportunities free of charge, supported largely through the family’s creative business, Island Grafika, alongside the generosity of friends, volunteers, and community supporters.
In a world where many opportunities come with a price tag, Island Grafika Football Academy chose a different path.
One built on service.
The Story Started With One Child
Every great football story begins somewhere.
For Island Grafika Football Academy, it started with a father and his daughter.
Back in 2022, Coach Intoy would spend afternoons playing football with his daughter and a few of her classmates after school. Nothing formal. No grand plans. Just simple passing drills, rondos, and moments of joy shared through the game.
But something unexpected happened.
More children started showing up.
Then even more.
The laughter grew louder.
The circles became bigger.
The football sessions became communities.
As his daughter began competing in tournaments, the need for a more organized structure became increasingly clear. Teams were formed. Clinics were conducted. More children were welcomed.
What began as casual after-school play slowly transformed into a grassroots movement.
By 2024, Island Grafika Football Academy was officially born.
Not from a business plan.
Not from a corporate initiative.
But from a father’s love, a football, and a desire to give children an opportunity.
Building Champions Beyond the Scoreboard
Success at Island Grafika Football Academy is not measured solely by trophies.
It is measured by character.
Every training session is guided by five core values:
Respect. Excellence. Discipline. Heart. Teamwork.
These are not slogans displayed on walls.
They are principles intentionally woven into every drill, every match, and every interaction.
Because while goals win games, values shape lives.
Players are taught to respect teammates and opponents.
To pursue excellence regardless of talent level.
To remain disciplined when challenges arise.
To play with heart even when exhausted.
And to understand that football has always been a team sport — both on the field and in life.
Under the guidance of PFF D-Licensed Coach Intoy Corpin III, the academy develops athletes who understand that being a good footballer means first becoming a good person.
A Club for Everyone
One of the most inspiring aspects of Island Grafika Football Academy is its commitment to inclusion.
Football in Samal is not reserved for a select few.
It is for everyone.
The academy actively supports:
- Girls’ Football Programs
- Women’s Football Development
- Futsal Training Programs
- School-Based Football Outreach Initiatives
Through free clinics and community programs, the academy continuously introduces football to children who might otherwise never have the chance to experience the sport.
This commitment reflects a larger vision.
A vision where football belongs to every child willing to learn, play, and grow.
The Victory That Never Appeared on a Score Sheet
Every football club remembers certain victories.
Some remember championships.
Others remember famous goals.
Island Grafika Football Academy remembers a life changed.
One young player once shared that before joining the club, she struggled with depression.
Like many young people, she felt isolated and disconnected.
Then football entered her life.
Through training sessions, she found friendships.
Through teammates, she found belonging.
Through the academy, she discovered a supportive community that helped restore her confidence and enthusiasm for life.
Soon, she was not only enjoying football.
She was enjoying life again.
No trophy could ever equal that achievement.
No championship medal could ever carry greater meaning.
Because football’s greatest victories are often the ones that happen away from the scoreboard.
Representing Samal with Pride
Though still a young academy, Island Grafika Football Academy has already begun creating competitive opportunities for its players through participation in events such as:
- La Filipina Futsal Tournament 2024
- PCNHSLYMPICS 7-A-Side Football Festival 2024
- Filipina 5 Futsal Fiesta 2025
- Batang Pinoy Futsal 2025
Each tournament serves as more than just competition.
It is a classroom.
A chance for players to learn resilience, adaptability, and courage against stronger opponents.
Every trip represents another opportunity for Samal’s young footballers to grow.
And wherever they go, they carry the same battle cry:
“SAMAL PUSH!”
A simple chant.
A powerful identity.
A declaration that football in Samal is moving forward.
The Challenges of Building Dreams
Like many grassroots clubs across the Philippines, Island Grafika Football Academy faces challenges that are familiar to football communities nationwide.
Funding remains an ongoing concern.
Long-term institutional support is still developing.
Technical officials and futsal resources remain limited.
Yet despite these obstacles, the academy continues to move forward.
Because grassroots football has never grown because conditions were perfect.
It grows because passionate people refuse to quit.
It grows because volunteers show up.
Because parents believe.
Because coaches sacrifice.
Because communities rally behind a common dream.
Island Grafika Football Academy stands as proof of that reality.
The Next Chapter
Over the next three years, the academy hopes to:
- Develop stronger and more competitive athletes
- Introduce football and futsal to more children throughout Samal
- Participate in larger regional and national competitions
- Achieve financial sustainability
- Become the leading football club in the Island Garden City of Samal
These goals are ambitious.
But then again, every meaningful football story begins with ambition.
And this academy has already shown that extraordinary things can emerge from humble beginnings.
Playing With Heart
When asked what advice they would give aspiring footballers, the academy’s message is beautifully simple:
“Just enjoy the game and continue growing and learning. Play with all your heart.”
Perhaps that is the true spirit of football.
Not fame.
Not trophies.
Not recognition.
But growth.
Learning.
Belonging.
And giving your heart to something bigger than yourself.
OneFutbol Salute
In many communities across the Philippines, grassroots football continues to thrive because dedicated individuals choose to invest their time, resources, and passion into helping young people discover the game.
Island Grafika Football Academy is a reflection of that commitment.
What was once a small group of children enjoying football after school has become a football community that develops players, strengthens relationships, promotes mental well-being, and creates opportunities for young people in Samal.
Through free training sessions, volunteer-driven coaching, outreach initiatives, and a culture built on respect, excellence, discipline, heart, and teamwork, the academy continues to make football accessible to more children and families across the island.
The impact of grassroots football is not measured only by trophies or tournament results. It is also seen in the friendships formed, the confidence gained, and the positive influence the sport can have on a young person’s life.
Island Grafika Football Academy demonstrates how football can bring people together and create meaningful opportunities within a community.
Samal Push. Philippine Football Forward.
If you would like to follow the club’s activities, learn about upcoming programs, or inquire about joining the academy, visit their official Facebook page:
Island Grafika Football Academy Official Facebook Page
For sponsorships, partnerships, donations, or other forms of support, you may contact:
Honorato “Intoy” Corpin III
📧 intoycorpiniii@gmail.com
OneFutbol proudly salutes Island Grafika Football Academy for its contribution to grassroots football development and for helping create a stronger football culture in Island Garden City of Samal.
