The Tribune

THE Cape Fear Heroes, a professional indoor football team from Fayetteville, North Carolina (USA), and the Bahamas American Football Federation have formed a relationship to help promote the sport of American Football in the Bahamas.

Cape Fear Heroes coaches and players will be travelling to Grand Bahama in November on the first leg of their Goodwill Football Tour and will be holding football clinics for coaches and athletes of all ages in Grand Bahama.

“This new relationship will afford our coaches and players to further develop their skills and knowledge of the game and we appreciate the Heroes owner Barbara Spigner and the Heroes for selecting BAFF,” said BAFF president LaLisa Anthony.

During the tour, Heroes coaches and players will be teaching football skills and conditioning techniques as well as encouraging proper sportsmanship.

With the fact that the Bahamas has long been known for its exceptional athletes and has produced several NFL players, the Heroes will also be holding open tryouts in November in Grand Bahama.

Said Stanford Duhaney, BAFF director of football development: “We are looking forward to the Heroes relationship. Having a tryout for a professional team is something we have wanted to make happen for a long time for our older players.”

The tryout will be for Bahamian players 19 and older who are interested in trying out for the Cape Fear Heroes professional indoor football team.

Prospective players will be tested in the 40-yard dash, short and long shuttle, 225 weight bench and individual and team drills.

Players from the tryout that show promise to the Heroes coaching staff could be offered a professional contract and be invited to the Heroes March 2014 training camp in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The Bahamas American Football Federation became the ideal group to work with as they are a model organisation well established in the Bahamas.

The BAFF works to develop the sport of American football by offering programmes in tackle and flag football on multiple islands.

“It is our hope that we will continue to grow the sport throughout the country and this relationship should prove beneficial in this endeavour,” Anthony said.

The federation hosts college tours, camps and combines for its members as well as coach/official training sessions and clinics to further develop the sport in the Bahamas.

American football is a popular sport in the Bahamas with many of its residents following their favourite NFL teams each Sunday.

Future proposed plans call for teams from the Cape Fear Heroes Youth Football Programme to play against youth teams from the Bahamas American Football Federation.

Proposed youth games would be played in both the Bahamas and Fayetteville, NC (USA) adding to both the tourism and economic impact of both locations.

The Heroes youth programme currently supports 21 teams and over 450 athletes in various age groups.

“I am pleased to be involved in this relationship with the BAFF and see these kids experience the unity and cultural events between these two organisations as we work to increase tourism and add an economic impact to both locations,” says Heroes owner Barbara Spigner.

An additional component that the Heroes are working on is to host an AIF league game in the Bahamas in the spring of 2014.

“We would like to bring our exciting fast-paced professional game to the fans of the Bahamas and have them experience the fan excitement that our fans so enjoy here in the states.

“While several of these programmes are still in the planning stages, the Heroes and the Bahamas American Football Federation are proud to announce that the Cape Fear Heroes Goodwill Football Tour has been booked for November 2013.”