24 Apr 2010 | Rugby
Freeport, Bahamas – Barbados World Cup player Matthew Joseph completes the roster of top coaching talent which has been recruited to work with Grand Bahama youngsters at this year’s Sir Jack Hayward Soccer Camp.
The 37-year-old international defender is now a full-time senior pro coach having completed more than 400 English league games for Leyton Orient and Cambridge United. He started his career with famous London club Arsenal and was player of the year in three out of his four seasons at Orient.
He is now responsible for a team of coaches developing soccer skills in young people in an area of the UK – East London and the county of Essex – with a population of almost two million. That’s more than six times the number of people living in the Bahamas.
“In our job we get to work with kids of all ages and different abilities and it really broadens your horizons. We have a massive responsibility – to give children the best guidance and understanding we can possibly give them,” he said.
“In the game itself we aim to introduce to kids fundamental skills such as balance and co-ordination while getting them comfortable off and on the ball and developing their understanding of the game generally.
“We want them to really express themselves and enjoy playing soccer. That will be my mission in Grand Bahama. ”
The highlight of Matthew’s career was playing against the USA in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. Barbados was defeated but the USA went on to the quarter finals in South Korea and Japan, only to be defeated by the eventual tournament runners up Germany. Matthew was born in the Bethnal Green area of London but his parents’ Barbadian background qualified him to become a member of the famous “Bajan Pride” – the island’s national team.
Prior to turning out for them, though, he had already won 16 youth caps playing for England.
Matthew, lead coach Jamie Godbold and fellow newcomer Sarah Green are giving up vacation time to fly in to Freeport to pass on their skills and soccer knowledge in improving the game among young people on the island.
“I am genuinely excited by the quality of the coaches we have coming this year. In our seven years we have always had top class people but the blend we are able to bring to Grand Bahama in 2010 has to be the best yet,” said camp organiser Richard Malcolm.
“What makes it particularly excellent is that they are specialists not just in soccer coaching but in bringing out the best in young people.
“They will make sure the kids have a fantastic, fun time as well as exposing them to the latest soccer ideas. The latter will also be a big bonus for our volunteer local coaches. We have more than 20 who give up their time for the camp and the visitors will be passing on their skill and knowledge to them, too.”
The camp takes place from Monday, June 21, to Friday, June 25, at the extended playing fields of Freeport Rugby Football Club, East Settlers Way. Campers get lunch each day as well as two full sets of uniform, the top level coaching and the chance of a cooling lunchtime swim in the club pool.
Registration is $175 and forms can be found on this website (attached below) or collected from Town & Country, Yellow Pine Street, and Animale, Port Lucaya. More information about the camp can be had from derek.archer1@gmail.com It is not too early to register because it is first come, first served and numbers are pegged at 180.
24 Apr 2010 | Rugby
Freeport, Bahamas – History will be made at this year’s Sir Jack Hayward Grand Bahama Soccer Camp, now in its seventh highly-successful year.
It will feature the event’s first full-time professional female soccer coach. Her name is Sarah Green and she works for the London-based Football Association as part of its drive to take kids and turn them into international players of the future.
The camp’s 180 attendees split roughly equally between boys and girls but Sarah is at home coaching both and in fact leads mixed classes on a daily basis.
She follows a long line of top-line coaches the camp has attracted from the UK, the country where what is the world’s biggest sport was invented, including leading former international players and media experts as well as full timers. She will be working alongside Jamie Godbold who is returning after being lead coach for the last two years during which he has made himself a firm favourite with local children.
Jamie Godbold
Jamie is currently nursing a broken jaw, sustained scoring a goal for his league-leading team, for whom he has been leading scorer for several years, but will be fully fit for the camp.
Sarah is already well-qualified but is also well on the way to completing the range of courses which will lead to her earning the highest level coaching license granted by EUFA, the international governing body for soccer. She is also a player, having turned out regularly for the ladies team of the famous UK pro soccer club Nottingham Forest as well as being assistant director of its girls’ centre of excellence. She still plays midfield for her local team.
Her 12-year career includes, as does Jamie’s, time spent coaching in the US but it will be her first visit to the Bahamas and she is very excited. Speaking this week from the city of Leicester, where she is currently working, she said: “I am really looking forward to working with the local coaches and the children. I am also really looking forward to relaxing on the beaches afterwards!”
The camp runs from June 21 until June 25 and as usual will be hosted by the Freeport Rugby Football Club on East Settlers Way, using the extensive playing and practice pitches. Organisers are expecting the usual turnout of almost 200 kids for many of whom it is the high point of the year.
The price is being held at $175 for the fourth year in a row, reflecting the tough times people are experiencing on the island. For that the youngsters get lunch, fruit morning and afternoon, six hours of coaching a day as well as lunchtime swimming for those whose who want a cooling dip, two full sets of uniforms, and a monogrammed camp T-shirt, making it the best value summer camp package – and about a third of the cost of similar events in the US. And any surplus is ploughed back into developing youth sport on the island.
Registration forms can be found on this website (link below) and are also available from Town and Country in Yellow Pine Street, Freeport, and Animale, at Port Lucaya. They can also be had by emailing derek.archer1@gmail.com
25 Feb 2010 | Rugby
> I have just received a note from his widow that Sid Mahony, our 2nd (greatly respected and affectionately remembered) President, died in 2009 aged 102 years!
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> He had been a member of Dolphin Rugby Club, Cork, Munster as a player before retiring. He then worked for Billy Butlin when Billy built the Resort in West End. Subsequently Sid worked in Freeport for Mr. Diamond whose properties he managed before returning to Ireland.
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> The last photo I have of him, aged 98, showed him in the company of several other former Dolphin players in their 90s – obviously something in the Guinness.
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> I’ve written suitably to his widow, Lilian.
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> Regards,
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> Christopher Cafferata
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> P.S. Sid came to every Freeport home match with oranges for both teams!
22 Feb 2010 | Photos, Rugby
FRFC won yesterday in the Bahamas Cup 15 -12 against Cuckoo’s. Photos courtesy of Chris Baker. A full match report will be coming online soon.
16 Feb 2010 | Rugby
-thought that would get your attention !!
Where to next for Grand Bahama Strollers ? we’ve done abaco so where next
- back to brazil paul now teaching there and i’m sure spellman still knows a few nuns there
- houston – fingers and lol both living the septic life and both rumoured to be in great shape
- turks – sure bob would be happy to see us
- miami – our over 45 opponents are even older than us
- Dominican or cayman – the splinter group from the miam boys above ( ie the trini clan) looking for 5 to 7 intrepid travellers to join them on travels down south
Any other suggestions or do we need bert to make another impassioned plea at the next AGM ….
13 Jan 2010 | Rugby
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama — From mountain climbing to barber shop singing – Mark Rawlings is a sportsman of many parts. And now he is adding the role of ambassador to his repertoire.
The newly-appointed youth development officer at Freeport Rugby Football Club (pictured) is heading out into the schools with a mission to win young people and their physical education teachers over to a sport relatively little known on Grand Bahama but played by millions worldwide.
The 22-year-old Brit may be young but he has plenty to offer youngsters interested in taking up the sport. He is a player himself, holds several coaching certificates and is a qualified referee. He also has experience this side of the Atlantic having spent months coaching children in Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.
He wants to get more young Bahamians involved at the Settlers Way-based rugby club. Contrary to many people’s belief the club is not just for foreigners and already most of the first team is Grand Bahama born and bred. Mark wants to get the next generation of players started early.
He has already been to Bishop Michael Eldon High School and other schools will quickly follow. Phase One of his “Start Rugby, Grand Bahama” campaign offers six weeks coaching for each school which takes part followed by special tag rugby tournament for senior kids in a month or two’s time in which youngsters will be able to show what they have learned in competition with other schools.
Each of those taking part will be invited for extra training at the rugby club on Monday and Friday evenings.
Once Phase One is complete he will turn his attention to the under-15 age group with similar coaching programmes and a competitive event at the end.
“This programme looks to develop teamwork, leadership and discipline in a fun and enjoyable setting,” said rugby club president Rob Speller. “It will also improve the kids’ motor skills, such as passing, catching, and reading the game, all of which are transferable to and from many other popular sports.
“We want to involve parents and teachers in the organisation and coaching. They will find it fun and it will help sustain the sport on the island for the foreseeable future.”
The Freeport club’s successes attract much less attention than other sports on the island but are outstanding nonetheless. It won the 2008 Bahamas Cup as well as the 2008 Bahamas Championships. Its facilities are the best on the island with extensive match and practice pitches and a clubhouse which houses changing rooms and showers as well as a social centre. It regularly hosts visiting teams from the US.
“It’s been great to get started,” said Mark. “I know the kids who take part will enjoy it and they will be getting coaching to the highest standards set by the International Rugby Board. It is a contact sport and it is very competitive as anyone who comes to the club on Saturday to watch us play Kellogg’s Business School from the US will see. But it also teaches anger management and leads to strong character growth generally.”
Mark has taken time off from the UK’s world famous Loughborough University where he is taking politics with media to help out in Freeport. But the university is chiefly known for the large number of top class sports players and coaches who have begun their first class careers there.
He is used to pioneering projects. In fact his coaching stint in Trinidad and Tobago was the first of its kind in that country and required a diplomatic approach as well as a lot of enthusiasm.
He ended up coaching primary as well as high school children, some of them disabled, as well more challenging students. “One of the more rewarding and unique experiences was coaching in a young offenders institute in Trinidad where many of the kids had not played the sport before,” Mark added.
