The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE partnership between Youth Empowerment through Soccer International and Rush Soccer continues to provide an avenue for young Bahamians to gain increased exposure in the sport.

A group of the programme’s players were recently selected to participate in the Rush Under-14 Boys Select ID Camp in Casa Grande, Arizona.

The camp features 28 players from states throughout the US in addition to the group from the Bahamas.

The five Bahamian players - Gabriel Macdeo, Daniel Shahidi, Cole Smith and Elliot Bain - each received the invite to the select camp.

Shahidi, Smith and Bain each participated in the weekend-long training camp to identify the top players in Rush Nation for the Under-14 Boys Select Team.

“This was always our goal. When YESI started we had the fundamental goal in mind of just getting kids more opportunities to play soccer and in turn use the game to create opportunities for themselves. We have so much talent in our country that has never been seen because the kids are never really given the opportunity to showcase their talents,” said YESI Rush founder Happy Hall.

“It speaks volumes of the strength of the local development programmes here because these guys have participated in the BFA Centre of Excellence programme which shows that we have a lot of talent here.”

The players earned their berth to the camp based on their performances in July’s Rushfest in Colorado.

“They saw the level of our players and wanted further opportunities to see these players perform. For a lot of the other kids that didn’t receive this particular opportunity there are others available for them, especially our younger teams like our 12 and unders,” Hall said.

“When Rush heard that many of them are relatively new to the sport, and based on their skill set, they offered two scholarships spots to kids from the Gambier programme to live, school and train in Colorado with a host family.”

YESI Rush’s Under-14 group will travel to participate in the fourth annual IMG Cup, December 18-22 in Brandenton, Florida.

Hall is an alumnus of the IMG Academy and will lead the team in the tournament which features an elite field of 76 teams from 10 states and 10 countries played across six divisions.

According to its website, the IMG Academy is “the world-leading provider of integrated academic, athletic and personal development programmes.”

The Bradenton, Florida based campus annually attracts nearly 200,000 athletes, coaches, event participants and spectators from 100 countries.

In order to create more opportunities for Bahamian kids to learn and play soccer and develop their character, YESI has established soccer programmes in North and South Cat Island, Arthur’s Town High School, Orange Creek Primary, and Dumphries (Pre-K).

The group has also helped to arrange placement for several public school children to play soccer for professional clubs in the United States and has donated thousands of boots to primary public school students and underprivileged children with the help of local and international organisations, including residents of the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys, The Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home, and The Willamae Pratt Centre for Girls.

“The responsibility to help our young people to reach their full potential is everyone’s responsibility, not just the government, parents or schools,” Hall said.

YESI’s major sponsors include Ports International, Mahagony House and Round Table Offshore Management.