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Justin Reid – Reid Sports Tours.

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St Leonard’s Boys’ Football Coach Fabian Massiah.

Five US coaches for local College Showcase/Youth Combine

At the end of March five coaches from the USA are expected in Barbados for a College Showcase/ Youth Combine, hosted by the St Leonard’s Boys’ Football Team (SLB) in association with Reid Sports Tours out of Washington DC.

The head and or assistant coaches are coming from Washington Adventist University, Thomas Jefferson University, Broward College, USC Aiken, and St. Bonaventure University for the March 31 to April 2 event at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex.

While here, the five will be conducting drills, meeting one-on-one with players and presenting on their individual colleges and universities.

Last year, Reid Sports Tours invited the SLB Under 19 team to Washington DC to participate in three friendly matches which the team won 4-2, 7-1, 4-2. Justin Reid was so impressed with their performance that he proposed to come to Barbados with coaches from Division I and Division II schools to meet other players between the ages of 15 and 18, from across the island.

“I have personally selected these coaches due to their history of recruiting Caribbean players,” Reid said.

“The coaches are part of various associations ranging from the Black Soccer Membership Association to the United Soccer Coaches. Every coach has his own needs. Some are looking for goal scorers, defenders, midfielders. They offer both partial and full scholarships depending on how good the player is and what the coaches want to offer, for example, Washington Adventist needs a goalkeeper and is willing to offer a full scholarship.”

He said securing a place with any of the schools depends on skill, grades, SAT scores and the ability to pass the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Clearinghouse or what is now called the Eligibility Centre for overseas students wanting to play college sport.

Soccer or football is in the top five of popular sports in the US behind basketball, baseball and American Football.

Women’s soccer is gaining prominence following their 2019 win at the World Cup with female players demanding equal pay. On average a US, female soccer player can make about US$15 000 compared to the average US$69 000 earned by men. Salaries for men vary depending on the league and the level of play, in the US Pro League male players can make an average of US$36 000 a year or as much as $800 000 annually in the Major League.

Caribbean players in colleges in the US are few and far between because colleges recruit European players from top Academies like Real Madrid, Manchester City who were not selected to play professionally. To date, there are less than 15 Barbadian players in colleges across the US and less than 250 Caribbean players total.

“This began because college coaches were not being invited to the Caribbean to recruit players as much as they were in the 80s and 90s,” Reid explained.

“So, this led to a dip in the number of Caribbean players in colleges as previously there were far more. This camp will work to shift how Caribbean players are recruited and the coaches coming have a history of recruiting Caribbean players and want to add more players to their rosters. Barbadian players are talented, and we are providing them with the platform to showcase their talent.”

SLB Coach Fabian Massiah said the showcase is an opportunity for talented players at schools across the island.

“To be evaluated by five coaches, from five different schools over the course of three days, without having to pay airfare to go from college to college is a chance that should not be passed up,” he said.

Massiah added that there may also be a spot on the SLB team for participants in the College Showcase to tour Washington DC and Toronto in the summer.

Registration forms are available at the St Leonard’s Boys’ School, Monday to Friday between 9 am and 2 pm.

The deadline is March 23.

Barbados Advocate

Mailing Address:
Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc
Fontabelle, St. Michael, Barbados

Phone: (246) 467-2000
Fax: (246) 434-2020 / (246) 434-1000