FOUR ASPIRING YOUNG FOOTBALLERS FROM THE DIASPORA COMMUNITIES CHOSEN FOR THE DIGICEL ACADEMY

-       Inaugural year for the Digicel Kick Start Clinics in New York’s Caribbean Diaspora Communities

Thursday, September 29^th 2011 – New York: After four preliminary rounds and two days of Clinics, Digicel Kick Start Clinics Head Coach and England and Liverpool football legend, John Barnes, yesterday officially announced the four aspiring young footballers who have secured a place in the Digicel Academy following the inaugural year of the Clinics in New York’s Caribbean Diaspora Communities.

The four players – Ronaldo Charlton, Tyrone Harrison, Lamar Larmond and Bradley Nestor – were selected from an initial group of 150 young footballers to secure a place in the Digicel Academy in Trinidad from November 1^st to 7^th.

At the Digicel Academy, they will join the selected footballers from the remaining four countries – as well as those from Haiti and Panama, where they will spend a week developing their skills and technical ability as well as learning valuable life skills such as personal discipline and commitment – under the leadership of top Barclays Premier League coaches from the Sunderland Academy, assisted by John Barnes.

Digicel Kick Start Clinics Head Coach, John Barnes, said; “It was fantastic to be among the Diaspora communities of New York and to see that soccer is alive and well in America. The sport is really developing here and the children of the Caribbean Diaspora are driving that popularity. I look forward to seeing more from them at the Digicel Academy.”

Tyrone Harrison, 14 said; “I love soccer – I have been playing the game since I was six years old and when my family and I are back home in Jamaica, I play with the church club and corner leagues. I am very excited to have been chosen for the Digicel Academy.”

The Digicel Academy will also host a ‘coach the coaches’ seminar in which coaches from across the region will get expert training from Sunderland AFC’s finest teachers.

The Digicel Kick Start Clinics programme officially kicked off on Sunday 18^th September in Haiti before travelling on to Panama, New York, St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Suriname, Jamaica and culminating in a week long training session at the Digicel Academy in Trinidad from Tuesday November 1^st to Monday November 7^th.

For more information, visit www.digicelfootball.com 

ENDS

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