The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL soccer club and its players continue to benefit from the networking opportunities created by their partnership with the largest youth soccer club in the world.

Youth Empowerment through Soccer International (YESI) will field a team to train under one of the most famous soccer franchises in the world, Real Madrid C.F.

The 14-and-under side is scheduled to leave for Madrid, Spain, on April 18 where they will participate in a number of programmes with the club.

During the stay, the team will play against three Spanish opponents, including the Real Madrid Youth Academy team. They will also train and play at Real Madrid’s Academy Complex. And they will also have a firsthand opportunity to watch the professionals in action when Real Madrid takes on Osasuna and Atletico Madrid faces off against Elche.

YESI founder Happy Hall said the opportunity was presented to the club based on the exceptional performances of its players that have competed in recent international competition.

“Whenever we have teams travel or we have players compete for select sides, they perform so well that it creates opportunities for other players in the pipeline and that’s ultimately what it is all about, giving these young kids opportunities to do things they may not have been able to do without the game of soccer,” Hall said.

“It gives them a chance to see what it takes to play at the next level, because not many kids are exposed to players at this level and it’s a rare feat for these guys. This was one of the reasons we wanted to join with Rush Soccer, for networking purposes of this kind. The partnership with Rush will open up doors for Bahamian kids from seventh grade onwards to live and play in any of their 28 domestic clubs. It will serve as a gateway for consideration by European, MLS & NCAA soccer programmes and as a gateway to tournaments throughout the US. They will also play a major role in setting up local tournaments, provide coaching courses, coaching manuals, certificates and support.”

In February, YESI fielded a trio of players to Rush Select sides for the President’s Day and Desert Classic tournaments in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sean Waller, Elliotte Bain and Danial Shahidi were named to the Rush Select under-14 and under-15 sides respectively. The three players were among a group of approximately 700 players who began the qualification process in July 2013 when they participated in “Rushfest Colorado.”

They were then selected to participate in the Rush under-14 and under-15 boys Select ID Camp in Casa Grande, Arizona. The camp featured 28 players in each age group from states throughout the US in addition to the group from the Bahamas.

For Rush, the Bahamas is the first step of a project intended to expand to other Caribbean countries, including Haiti, Trinidad, Aruba, Jamaica and Dominican Republic.

The project has already started since Bahamas Rush set up soccer programmes in several schools, including a pilot programme in Cat Island.

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