The SKNFA through its Grassroots Program will be hosting a football festival on Saturday starting at 9:30 am at the Halfway Tree playing field. Over 100 youth from various football clubs across the country will be participating in the festival in different age brackets. One of the coordinators of the grassroots program Jazza Buchanan explained that the age groups will range from Under-5 to Under 13 categories from different clubs. Each category will play against each other such as Under 5 versus Under 6, U-7 vs U-8, etc., playing on different parts of the field. He expects this will help spark more interest in grassroots football. “It’s good for other kids from the countryside to compete as one against other grassroots (players). The grassroots is not based on who wins. It’s just to see where the kids are (in football skills),” he explained.
Meanwhile, Executive Member of SKNFA in charge of grassroots football Phil Cooper, said this initiative is designed to improve the grassroots football program among the various clubs and by extension raise the standard of youth football in St. Kitts and Nevis. “It was a leapfrog…from something that was dormant to something that is active. We wanted to give the clubs a little energy, a little boost. Youth football is around the corner and we want to use this…just to put a little energy into youth football again,” he said. Mr. Cooper promised that more Grassroots Football Festivals will be held by the SKNFA.
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