- September, 28 2011 -
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- 32 Aspiring young footballers will be put through their paces under Head Coach, John Barnes
Wednesday, September 28th 2011 – New York: As the Digicel Kick Start Clinics continue, Head Coach and England and Liverpool Football legend, John Barnes, has arrived in New York to draw on the talent there.
After four preliminary rounds, 32 talented young footballers were carefully chosen to showcase their talents in the hope of being selected for the elite Digicel Academy – a week-long training camp under the leadership of top Barclays Premier League coaches from the Sunderland Academy, assisted by John Barnes in Trinidad from Tuesday 1st November to Monday 7th November.
The Digicel Kick Start Clinics – which take place over two days at Linden Park in Brooklyn – will see Head Coach, John Barnes, coach the youngsters in the basic skills of the game before choosing the top four for a place in the Digicel Academy.
The chosen players will spend a week developing their skills and technical ability as well as learning valuable life skills such as personal awareness and self-esteem – all through positive reinforcement, fostering an appreciation of football's intrinsic values.
Digicel Kick Start Clinics Head Coach, John Barnes, said; “We arrived in New York yesterday and so far it’s been fantastic with the young footballers showing up full of enthusiasm and also great talent. I’m thrilled that this year we also get to pick from the children of the Diaspora – and it’s a tremendous opportunity for them.”
Digicel Group Head of Sponsorship, Karl Donnelly, said; “At Digicel, we are committed to serving the needs of our Caribbean customers living in the Diaspora area through our wide range of products and services such as Digicel Top Up and Digicel Calling Cards, which make it so much easier for Caribbean customers living in the Diaspora to stay in touch with friends and family back home. This year we are delighted to be offering this fantastic opportunity to train with some of the best coaches in the world to the aspiring young footballers of the Diaspora.”
The New York Digicel Kick Start Clinics kicked off yesterday and continue today when John Barnes will select the best four players for a place in 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 18th 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 1st to Monday November 7th.
For more information, visit www.digicelfootball.com.
ENDS
| THE ROAD TO THE ACADEMY TIMELINE | |
| Country | John Barnes Clinic Dates |
| Haiti | Sunday 18th – Thursday 22nd September |
| Panama | Friday 23rd – Monday 26th September |
| New York | Tuesday 27th – Friday 30th September |
| St. Kitts & Nevis | Saturday 1st – Tuesday 4th October |
| Grenada | Wednesday 5th – Saturday 8th October |
| Suriname | Sunday 9th – Wednesday 12th October |
| Jamaica | Thursday 13th – Sunday 16th October |
| Trinidad | The Digicel Academy – Tuesday 1st – Monday 7th November |
ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP
After ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11.5 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.
Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.
In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.
Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.
Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.
