The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

OVER 150 games were played on the pitch this weekend as the Baha Juniors Football Club hosted the first weekend of its community and club-building tournament.

The Baha Juniors FC Community Shield Tournament opened on Saturday (March 25) at the Winton pitch, featuring play in nine divisions in a 7-a-side format.

Marcus Cheetham, the club’s director and tournament organiser, said the club’s first attempt at an event of this nature went off without a hitch.

“It went extremely well. The feedback from everyone was that it was outstanding, and we could not have been happier for the kids. Everyone had a blast, from the players, to the fans and the parents, they thought it was just amazing.

“It was a huge tournout and we got to see the game played at a fast-paced, high level for a few hours,” he said.

“With the tons of volunteers, referees, coaches and players, even with the high volume of games, logistically everything moved along great. There was a lot of good movement on and off the pitch, play was very high-paced in this version of the game so if you don’t give it all you won’t get ahead.

“The level of play was quite intriguing to watch because of the unpredictability of the game. It was chaotic but it was great and I was honoured to be a part of it.”

He added that the tournament would continue the club’s effort of adding further exposure and training opportunities at the developmental level.

The under-6, under-8 and under-10 (all coed) teams played 9am to noon while the under-12, under-14 and under-17 games were played from 2 to 5pm.

The finals will be hosted on April 1.

“Next weekend would be the final round where we determine our championship winners from the two weeks of play. We already have sponsors approaching us in regards to next year’s tournament and we are already thinking ahead for changes we can make as we expect the event to continue to grow,” Cheetham added.

Event sponsors include EFG Bank and Trust, Starbucks, Gatorade, Aquapure and others.

“We just want the parents and the kids to have an outstanding time. The kids are able to come out, be competitive and enjoy the day while getting some great games in. It’s like having a mini-fair but based around the sport,” he said.

“On a whole, the level of soccer awareness is on the rise and all these activities at different levels just raise awareness of the sport. The coaches feed off the energy of the kids and vice versa. I have had more people reaching out to me for their kids to become involved than I’ve ever had before.”