Positive spinoffs from SPSFA as players selected for Nat. U-17 WCQ August 16, 2013 | By KNews | Filed Under Sports Following their successful showing in the just concluded Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools’ Football Academy, twelve (12) female participants have been selected for the National Under-17 World Cup Qualifiers from October 30 to November 9 in Jamaica. This recent development comes in the wake of a call by Captain of the Tutorial High School female team, Shekela Fraser, for greater opportunities for female footballers, during brief remarks at this year’s Academy closing ceremony. “This is my second year of participation in this programme and I am indeed delighted to be able to participate in such organised competition,” she said. Ms. Fraser further pointed out that the achievement becomes even more momentous when it is noted that female players have been neglected by other agencies and organisations. “To those persons who have demonstrated the will and wisdom to incorporate our involvement, I wish to express profound gratitude for remembering us,” said Fraser. This Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools’ Football Academy is an initiative of the Guyana Sports Development Foundation (GSDF) and is the first school’s programme to focus on the developmental aspects of the game, incorporating coaching and refereeing courses to enhance participants’ understanding of the technical aspects of the game. Many players have benefitted from the initiative from the inaugural year when a record ten schools from Georgetown were identified to participate with the assistance of their Alumni Associations and other benevolent sponsors. Every player received football boots, shin pads, socks, trunks and jerseys, while the schools received balls, cones, ball pumps, gear bags, training vests, goalkeeper gloves & whistles. There was an improved level of participation in 2012 with the number of schools increasing to 14 and further, in 2013, when activities expanded to several regions including Linden and Berbice with school participation increasing to twenty six. Now, some three years after its inauguration, the Scotiabank/Pepsi School Academy has been instrumental in training approximately 250 teachers and students who also completed the referee’s course. The coaches also benefitted and received DVDs with valuable footage to enhance their trade as well as reference materials and certificates issued by the Guyana Football Referees Council. Additionally, the student referees were issued with copies of the Laws of the Game by the Guyana Football Referees Council. The organisers have evaluated the progress of the tournament and are satisfied that many of the schools that participated over the years have been performing exceedingly well in other competitions. They made mention of the just concluded Digicel Under-18 championships which were won by the Christianburg/Wismar Secondary. Other participating schools that came in for high mention are St George’s High, Queens College, Charlestown Secondary, Christ Church Secondary and Berbice High School
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 13:20:40 +0000
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