Review

In November 2013 THE BREWSTER TRUST completed its “School Programme 2013”, a football initiative in Barbados in conjunction with the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Football League (BSSFL) and in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation and Arsenal FC – the motto: Shoes off. Boots on. Actually the registered charity is planning the 2014 continuation.

The elements

On 21st January 2013 THE BREWSTER TRUST launched the “School Programme 2013” and following its Mission Statement to promote, develop and improve football in Barbados and to create opportunities – especially for the youth – the charity offered support to schools, students and coaches.

The year started with a coaching course for the Secondary Schools’ coaches at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, 51 participants registered representing 24 secondary schools.

Weekly coaching courses at individual secondary schools followed, the schools had the choices “Curriculum Sessions”, Double Club which includes an academic part combining general literacy and football, after school programme or a community session on Saturday mornings. 21 secondary schools took part during the second and third term; 36 sessions or over 62 hours of football a week have been necessary to accommodate the requests – conducted by eight Arsenal FC coaches.

In total 766 coaching sessions had been scheduled at the individual schools, 9’293 students participated in the programme with a female quota of 21.37%.

In June 2013 THE BREWSTER TRUST and partner UNICEF invited all secondary schools to a workshop “Child Protection & Sports” at Lester Vaughan School; 24 participants representing 16 secondary schools attended. In the first session Heather Stewart, Child Protection Specialist of UNICEF, reported about Child Protection within the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Colin St. Hill, Senior Child Abuse Officer at the Child Care Board, proceeded with the topic “Safeguarding Our Children – Child Protection and football”. Finally Psychologist Nicole Lynch, SPBMP Consultant to the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, covered “Positive behavioural support for players on the field”. The constant feedbacks and discussions on the part of the coaches completed an active workshop.

Players of Queen’s College’s female team unpacking and checking the new equipment

In November 2013 just before the start into the new BSSFL season THE BREWSTER TRUST provided equipment for the schools that have qualified – by attendance of the various programme elements during the last months. The individual package included a full kit for 22 players with shirts, shorts, socks, goalkeeping gloves, shinpads, bibs, teambag as well as 25 footballs, ball bags, ball pump, foldable mini training goals, marking cones, first aid pack, ice box, water cooler or water bottles; schools with boys’ and girls’ teams received two sets of kit. The 21 packages for the schools plus the kits for 13 female and 20 male teams went to:

• Alleyne School
• Alma Parris Memorial Secondary School
• Barbados Community College
• Christ Church Foundation School
• Coleridge and Parry School
• Daryll Jordan Secondary School
• Deighton Griffith Secondary School
• Frederick Smith Secondary School
• Grantley Adams Memorial School
• Harrison College
• Parkinson Memorial Secondary School
• Princess Margaret Secondary School
• Providence Secondary School
• Queen’s College
• Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic
• Springer Memorial Secondary School
• St. George Secondary School
• St. Leonard’s Boys’ Secondary School
• The Codrington School
• The Lester Vaughan School
• The Lodge School

The new look of the Lester Vaughan School’s U-19 team