In an effort to increase the level of play of its Academy members, the Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA) will be hosting a tournament with a team out of New York this month, August 2014 – to do just that.
Through its Visiting Team Program, driven by its players, coaches and referees, the National Association is excited to host the Manhattan Soccer (Boca) Club B16 Team. This game-centric approach by the TCIFA allows long-term development to occur through a deeper understanding of what makes players successful at the highest level.
The Manhattan Soccer Club is a Youth Soccer Club based in Manhattan, New York – that comprises of both a girls and boys divisions and play competitive soccer at the Premier level and as well as in Division I, and some of the lower divisions. It is the largest football club in New York City with most of its teams competing in the Westchester Youth Soccer League.
The B16 team that will be visiting consists of footballers that have been together since the age of nine (9), finishing a perfect 9-0-0 in league play this season. The team has been playing in a division with teams a year older then they are, and finished a remarkable run of their own to take second place. They scored 40 goals this spring, an average of more than four per match, signaling that they will be a force to be reckoned with next year.
This is their third tournament in the Turks & Caicos for the B16 team; and while here, they will be pitted against the Football Academy’s U16 team, which is coached by Oliver Smith. It is hoped that next year, they will host the TCI’s U17 Boys in New York in 2015.
As a sport, football continues to grow in the Turks & Caicos, young players in this country need the proper environment to compete against more seasoned players. By having teams visit, this program provides the optimum development environment for the nation’s top youth football players. Coaches and referees by emphasizing development through meaningful competition.
The game schedule is as follows, all games to be held at the TCIFA Academy Complex on Venetian Road, Providenciales:
Sunday, August 10th
Game one 5:30pm Kick Off
Monday, August 11th
Game two 5:30pm Kick Off
Tuesday, August 12th
Beach tournament 4:30pm Start
Wednesday, August 13th
Game three 5:30pm Kick Off
