Women’s Football Festival kicks off with 35 participants

February 16, 2023 by
The first of two Women’s Football Festivals kicked off with 35 participants on Feb 11, 2023 at the Valley Recreation Grounds in Virgin Gorda. PHOTO: BVIFA/Javi Mars

The first of two Women’s Football Festivals kicked off at the Valley Recreation Grounds in Virgin Gorda on Saturday and attracted 35 participants, who not only learnt new skills, but also made new friends.

“Today was really great, I really loved it,” said Ciel Fox of Ciboney Centre of Excellence. “I really liked how the coaches helped us.”

Co-coordinator Gloria George-Fahie said despite a hiccup at the start, she’s glad of the way the day turned out. “It was well attended,” she noted. “The BVI Health Services, they showed up and the girls learned a lot about blood typing, their pressure and it was a really great day.” George-Fahie said the numbers could have been more, but several girls from Virgin Gorda went to Road Town for a jumps and throws camp with their respective schools. “It was also good to see the support of the coaches from Tortola,” she said. “We’ll have more folks over in Tortola (on Feb 25) but this is just the beginning. You can’t begin with a bang.”

Zambia Demming who attends Bregado Flax Educational Secondary School and participants in the girls Saturday morning academy on Tortola, said it was good to see an event catering only to girls.
“I liked everything about it,” she said. “It went well, and it will help more people to join the program. I’ll tell my friends that they need to be a part of this.”

The event offered Mia Lennard a dual role—first as a photographer then as a player. “It was awesome,” said Lennard who played football in high school. “I just wanted to learn more about the sport and meet other people interested in sports.” She said that it was interesting capturing images of the event when she wasn’t playing. “It was cool doing both sides today,” she said.

Following the event, Coach Cassandra “Coach Cass” Gregg, gathered everyone in a circle for a departing prayer as she usually does during the Saturday morning academies at the football field in Greenland. “We’re targeting 100 girls by the ending of December and today on Virgin Gorda, we had 35,” she told everyone. “We’ve doubled the amount now. Last month, we had 22, this month we’re up to 48—that’s for the Saturday morning program only not including all of you here—we’re hoping that we’re going to climb the ladder next month. We should be up to 75, then the next month we should target the hundred and keep going. That’s what we’re looking for. It was very nice to have all of you here today.”

Registration is in progress for the Tortola leg of the festival on February 25. Registration of girls in all ages, can be done on the day, via the BVI Football Association office or by email to
info@bvifootball.com. Further information can be obtained by calling (284) 340 3545.

Filed Under: Football Tagged With: ,

Women’s Football Festival to be held on Virgin Gorda this weekend, February 11th

February 8, 2023 by
Gloria George-Fahie, a co-coordinator of the Women’s Football Festival on Virgin Gorda, with a group of girls from the Bregado Flax Educational Center on Virgin Gorda, who will participate in the festival. PHOTO: BVIFA / Dean Greenaway

A Women’s Football Festival will be held on Virgin Gorda on Saturday, February 11 between 9:30 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. with the aim of reviving the sport for women and eventually starting a league.

During the festival, women will be exposed to a number of activities besides the skills used in the game, including nutrition, blood sugar, blood pressure checks, communication, media, conditioning and physiotherapy. Sprinter Karene King will be the guest speaker on both Virgin Gorda and Tortola.

“The focus of all the presentations in these two events will be solely by women, which I think is very important,” said Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway, BVI Football Association Competitions’ Manager , who’s driving the festival. “The aim is to eventually see a Women’s League run entirely by women. Since taking up the position, I have come across a number of enthusiastic, dedicated, competent women with the requisite skills and they know what they want. I’m just the facilitator in the process.”

In November and early December, meetings with women were held on Virgin Gorda and Tortola, to get an understanding of their concerns and what they’d like to see for themselves. Their respective ideas were canvassed and having a Women’s Football Festival on both Virgin Gorda and Tortola, was seen as an important event in bringing women together, as building blocks for future development.

“There are a number of women in the process of obtaining their coaching license and at the end of January, several completed a referee’s course,” Greenaway noted. “Chandni Wattley and Shevorne “Sha Sha” Vanterpool for example, have been the first two women to work in men league games as assistant referees. Vanterpool and Keliene Smith – both from Virgin Gorda – worked a Feb 5 men’s game in Virgin Gorda, becoming the first two women from the island to do so, so the foundation for women’s development is being laid. They will also be part of the foundation for a women’s league.”

On Saturdays, Coach Cassandra (“Coach Cass”) has been working with a number of girls in Greenland who are joined by girls from Virgin Gorda. “Coach Cass has a goal of having 100 girls in the program by Dec 31 and we’re seeing the response of girls to this quest,” Greenaway said. “They will participate in the festival and help spread the seeds for getting their peers into the football program.”

A similar festival will be held on February 25 on Tortola, at the BVI Football Association stadium in Greenland.

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