Yesterday afternoon was a significant one for the Scotia/Pepsi Schools Football Academy which is a programme of the Guyana Sports Development Foundation (GSDF), following its successful launch at the Ministry of Education Sports Complex, Carifesta Avenue.
With the mining town of Linden and the ancient county of Berbice added to the academy’s list, John Yates, Director of GSDF, who chaired the event, said that GSDF was s a Non-Profit charitable organization out of Florida, United States of America which was seeking to assist Guyanese in all sports. The academy is in its third year and will assist in fulfilling the mission of the GSDF.
Some 24 schools are now involved with the academy.
Yates said that the mission is to assist with sports development for Guyanese who reside within and out of Guyana and are eligible to represent the country.
A female All-star football team was formed last year following the conclusion of the academy which opened a window for some of the players to be selected on the national U17 football team known as the Lady Jags.
This year will be no different as Guyana prepares to compete in the upcoming U17 World Cup.
Yates disclosed that the objective of the foundation was not to have a competition but have an academy where teachers from various schools can be trained as coaches and to go back into the school to prepare the students.
It was said that some senior players today are not au fait about the game as they do not know the fundamental rules of their sport.
Yates stated that the academy will be used to instill those values of the game into the children as many will prepare to move into the club systems.
“They would have already had an understanding of the rules of the game and they would have been properly coached to understand what is required of them,” he said.
Yates said he hopes that one day scouts will come to Guyana seeking players from the academy as they do in countries like Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.
“We have to work to get to that level, it is important that this type of activity takes place,” he declared.
In closing remarks, Yates thanked Scotia Bank and Demerara Distillers Limited (Pepsi) for their contribution to the academy over the past years adding that the schools have responded and were moving forward with the quality of football shown.
Jennifer Cipriani-Nelson, Scotia Bank’s Manager of Products and Marketing and DDL’s Sales Manager Alexis Langhorne, in their replies expressed their gratitude on behalf of their respective organizations stating that the event is about development and growth. Ministry of Education representative, Lindley Langhorne commended the GSDF and sponsors for the tremendous work stating that it was not a one
Langhorne also stated that the academy will go hand-in-hand with players’ academic work as sports are a part of Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Examination.
With the Ministry of Sport Representative not present, Acting President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Franklin Wilson commenting before the donation aspect, said that the Academy is a nexus between education and sports, highlighting the fact that the relevant ministries needed to play their roles. The Scotia Bank/Pepsi had been the catalyst for the rebirth of schools football in Guyana said Wilson.
Apart from the Scotia Bank/Pepsi academy, two other tournaments, Digicel and the Fazia Collection Inter-Secondary school tournament (female) on the West-side involving six schools also seek to develop football among today’s youths, Wilson added. The acting president also commended the GSDF for seeing it vital and wise to prepare coaches for the youngsters they would be in charge of and also expressed his gratitude to the GSDF.
He noted that Guyana’s club structure is a work in process and said he hopes in the near future that the level of collaboration with corporate Guyana will increase to develop marketable players.
Recently Walter Moore, Trayon Bobb and a few others were granted contracts to play in Europe it was pointed out.
