Antigua and Barbuda

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GNFC Players Return from CAF-Sponsored UK Scholarship Football Trials at Brooke House College

GNFC Players with CAF Media Relations Specialist- Jamilla Kirwan

The four young Generation Next FC footballers, who were afforded the opportunity to participate in scholarship trials at Brooke House College in the United Kingdom, returned home over the weekend to resounding cheers and applause from family, friends and supporters.

Rufilo Camacho, Father GNFC Player, Ethan Camacho

They were accompanied by GNFC Head of Coaching, Desmond “Zico” Bleau and Vincent “Nabo” Samuel, who also had the chance to upgrade their coaching expertise by interfacing with the Brooke House coaching staff.

The twelve-day trip, which was sponsored by the Calvin Ayre Foundation, saw 15-year-old O’Niah Blair, 13-year-old Joshua Henriques, 12-year-old Ethan Camacho, and 11-year-old Ethan Barton, involved in strength training, conditioning and other technical aspects of the sport, as well as playing in an official match, where Brooke House College emerged the winner.

The players slept and had their meals on the college campus, which gave them the first-hand experience of life away from home at an international soccer academy.

Giles Williams, Managing Director/Owner – Brooke House College

According to Managing Director and owner of Brooke House, Giles Williams, the college will also be identifying one of the young footballers for a full scholarship to attend St. Anthony’s Secondary School, as well as a full scholarship to Brooke House upon completion of their high school education.

Williams also elaborated that, during their secondary school tenure, the scholarship recipient will travel to Brooke House once-a-year for training.

Head of GNFC Coaching Desmond “Zico” Bleau

Head Coach of GNFC, Desmond “Zico” Bleau said, “I want to give kudos to Jamilla and her team at the Calvin Ayre Foundation for making this coaching exchange and player tryout possible.

It was an incredible, eye-opening experience.

Our boys fit right in and held their own, so that spoke volumes about their talents and the work that coaches in Antigua are doing in terms of preparing our players. They now have an idea of what football is like outside of the country.”

Bleau also said that he hopes this UK trial will be an annual experience, where future players can be identified, and other coaches can glean more insight into the operation and structure of an elite soccer academy.

Despite the challenge of being in a new place and interfacing with new players, all four players expressed that the trip was a positive and fun experience for them.

Media Relations Specialist for CAF, Jamilla Kirwan, who also witnessed the boys’ during some of the training sessions in the UK, said being on the ground to see the boys in a new environment, fitting in seamlessly and playing on par with their UK colleagues, was a wonderful experience.

She said that the Calvin Ayre Foundation is pleased to be partnering with GNFC and Brooke House College, as the tangible benefits the young players and coaches received, will pave the way for future scholarship opportunities for young Antiguan and Barbuda footballers.”

Rufilo Camacho, father of Ethan Camacho, expressed his gratitude to Generation Next – where Ethan had been a part of for 7 years – as well as the Calvin Ayre Foundation and Brooke House College for making the trip a possibility.

“I see it as a potential life-changing opportunity,” he said. “We are hoping that this will open doors for other players.”

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