The future of any sport depends on the development of the youth, and football in the BVI is no different. Such was the lack of available funding for the BVIFA, it was 20 years after the Association as established that the first youth programme was started. In 1993 Kenrick Grant gained a coaching diploma from the English FA, and returned to the BVI to start a youth programme and league in the summer of 1994. He was the first Youth Director, ably assisted by Winston Potter and Elroy Mills.

Such was it’s success, the BVI Social Department Sports Division was able to assist the FA with some equipment in 1996, and with sponsorship from Cable & Wireless in 1997, the youth programme thrived in its early stages through until 1998.

In 1999 substantial FIFA funding helped to attract Charlie Cook and Gary White, two coaches from England, arrived in the territory, and the programme really took off. A large sponsorship deal with Insinger de Beaufort also helped greatly with purchasing of equipment and uniforms. A National Youth League was established, a Saturday morning Centre of Excellence, as well as Under-17 Youth teams. This really was the peak of the youth programme since its inception. There was also a popular Beach Soccer Jam, and it was at this time the famous “Football For All” bus was purchased.

Cook and White left the FA to move elsewhere in the Caribbean and in 2000 a coach from Luis Boas from Portugal arrived to continue the good work. A number of volunteers who attended a Olympic Solidarity Course also assisted with the coaching. Trinidadian Clint Marcele and Llewellyn Dasent spent 3 months in early 2002 trying to re-establish the programme. But it wasn’t until Marc Wilson from Scotland, and current Youth Director Roger Carter from England were appointed that the programme got back off the ground again. Wilson and Carter re-introduced the Saturday morning Centre of Excellence, and initiated an after-school Primary Schools League. Funding from Western Union meant a new Easter Schools Football Festival and a return of the ever-popular Beach Soccer Jam. In 2004 Carter, Cassandra Gregg who has been a loyal coach of kids football for many years, and another football stalwart of the island Peterson Azille, have been working hard to increase the standards of youth football in the BVI. Azille has been working with both girls U-19 and boys U-17 national teams in a number of FIFA, CONCACAF, Olympic and CFU matches and tournaments. Rohan ‘Chi-Chi’ Lennon, Patrick Mitchell and Avondale Williams are three more who have worked hard with kids football over the years.

There have been many ups and downs over the years, President Kenrick Grant remembers one of the highlights were the series of national youth team matches with the US Virgin Islands during the 1990’s, with a memorable victory over St. Croix in 1998.

A number of talented youngsters are now starting to emerge, the most notable being Amanda Emmanuel, who last year gained a soccer scholarship to Bryan & Stratton College in the state of New York. We hope current High School players such as Diane O’Neal, Daresha Martin and Joel Fahie, amongst others follow in Amanda’s footsteps.

What does the future hold? With more human resources and more volunteers, the main aim is to build on the foundations set already, but also to gain top-class training facilities. This would enable and improve the chance of future success immeasurably. The ultimate goal would be to one day, to field national teams of all ages with BVIslanders. With much hard work and enthusiasm this could be a dream fulfilled in years to come.