From Virgin Islands News Online 3

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI The territory’s young female footballers got an early Christmas present on Thursday November 28, 2013 when the BVI Football Association (BVIFA), through its Technical Director Mr Keith “Grell” Griffith, announced that it would be taking part in a CONCACAF Girls U15 Tournament in August 2014.

Mr Griffith was delighted to announce that another building block in the development of women’s football was put in place with the confirmation that the VI would be sending a team to take part in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football Association’s (CONCACAF) Regional Girls U15 Tournament scheduled to be played in the Cayman Islands during August 2014.

“The whole of the BVIFA is very excited that we will be participating,” he said. “This is a catalyst for Girls Football and represents a positive start to the development plans. I hope everybody will come on board, because the BVIFA has taken an initial step to show we are ready to move forward.”

The next step is to inform the original 24 players who have been called to training and their parents will be given a letter explaining what is happening and invited to a meeting; both on Tortola and Virgin Gorda and then the practical work will begin in January.

“Officially we will start after Christmas and be right on track to prepare them properly,” noted Griffith. “Although we have selected 24, the door is wide open and anyone who seems capable of taking their football skills to a higher level will be drafted into the squad.”

This will add additional purpose and meaning to the upcoming High School and Primary School Leagues and as Griffith pointed out, “We would like to have 50 players to work with, but we have to make a start and are right on track.”

Griffith will oversee the training plans for the girls, style, systems of play and also the tactical game plans. He will be making sure the coaching staff is the best available and confirmed that once all is in place the VI will be on the way to better things.

The involvement of the girls in the tournament is part of a 4-year plan that the BVIFA has presented to the governing body of football, FIFA, and Griffith explained that the girls have much to look forward to.

“In the 4 year plan the After School and P.E. Classes will show there is room for further development including scholarships, trials in the likes of MLS etc and other possibilities.”

The start in January gives the coaches almost 7 months to prepare the squad, which is a huge improvement on previous planning, and Griffith noted that the preparation would also include practice matches both home and away.

Next year’s tournament is a reflection on the desire of CONCACAF to improve the overall standard of players within the Region and make them more competitive on the bigger stages like World Cup Qualification competitions.

Members of CONCACAF include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St Maarten, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, USVI and the USA.

The involvement of the girls in the tournament is part of a 4-year plan that the BVIFA has presented to the governing body of football, FIFA, and Griffith explained that the girls have much to look forward to. Photo: BVIFA

The BVIFA is sticking to its promise to develop Girls football by sending a team to the Cayman Islands next year to participate in a CONCACAF Tournament featuring many of the Region’s top teams. Photo: BVIFA

Mr Keith Griffith will oversee the training plans for the girls, style, systems of play and also the tactical game plans. He will be making sure the coaching staff is the best available and confirmed that once all is in place the VI will be on the way to better things. Photo: BVIFA

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