The soccer cleats, shin guards and uniforms are all packed as 40 St. Thomas Youth Soccer Association "Peacemakers" players, coaches and chaperones leave on Friday for Puerto Rico.
The team is headed for a soccer tournament sponsored by the U.S. Navy at the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. According to association officials, the purpose of the tournament is to promote youth soccer development and friendships between the neighboring islands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. The trip will provide a unique opportunity to develop friendships because all the V.I. players will be staying with host families in Puerto Rico.
It is expected that there will be several Under 12 and Under 14 Boys teams competing as well as Under 13 and Under 18 Girls teams.
There will also be adult team night games on Friday, including one with St. Thomas's Antillean Strikers Football Club vs. the naval base team. The night games will be 9-a-side on a field that is a little smaller than regulation size.
Antillean Strikers players such as Robert "Trip" Dunville, Bob Stolz, Greg Bettish, Kevin "Irish" Foules, Mike DeHass, Steve Matthews, Sammy Beaujous, Franklin Victor and Nicolas van Heurck are all looking forward to a competitive game.
Dunville is also traveling as a Peacemaker coach for the Under 12 group. A FIFA certified coach, he is usually the coach of the Under 10 teams. This will be his first experience as the coach of the Under 12 team because its usual coach, Malcolm Grant, is playing in the Over 35 League on St. Croix this weekend.
The Under 12 team players are: John DeJongh, Dimitri Maduro, Richie Bourne-Vanneck, Ward Garee, Leshawn Lettsome, Paul Remy, Joel Smalls, Anita Nacisse, Tricia Connor and Akil Esdaille; plus four experienced players from the Under 10 team — Jamie Brown, Jabari Velinor. Christo Dimpoulous and Madison van Heurck.
The Under 12 team will play two games each on Saturday and Sunday for each age group. The Peacemakers Under 14 team is coached by FIFA-certified Clifton Williams. He said that his boys are "ready, and are going for the experience." Williams, a firm disciplinarian, understands the benefits of every experience. "We will all benefit from the experience, win or lose," he said.
The Under 14 team includes players who have been coached by Williams from 1999 and players from Cancryn Junior High who have been in the Junior Varsity league. The Under 14 team players are: Francisco Fonseca, Anani Comissiong, Max Hoffman. Robert Holder Jr., Jimmy Pearsal, Malik Feracho, Miles Davis, Kenroy Roberts, Nathan Rosenberg, Jonathon John, Adjid Jones, Terrano Morgan, Steviorne Dacent, Jarrandy Richards and John Mulley.
The Youth Soccer Association executive board had only a few weeks to make arrangements for the trip, which was not enough time to arrange a major fund-raising event. So, the expenses -– mainly airfare and registration -– are being covered by the individual players and a few donations. While fund-raising activities continue, such as car washes, walk-a-thons, bake sales and the sale of food and drinks during games, the association is also looking for corporate sponsors.
The coaches are all unpaid. The association would like to be able to expand the popular soccer program.
