SKNFA EASTER CAMP STARTS WITH A BANG

The SKNFA Easter Football Camp officially got underway on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the National Bank Group of Companies Technical Center in St. Peters. The camp welcomed both boys and girls, with the boys group comprising participants born in 2010 and later, while the girls group includes those born in 2011 and later.

Approximately 160 children have registered for the two-week program, highlighting strong interest and enthusiasm for the sport among the nation’s youth. One of the coaches of the camp Jamal Jeffers, said the camp is designed to serve a dual purpose: to identify emerging football talent and to introduce the game to newcomers. “We could have some mini-games throughout this Easter Camp, and we could look at the players, and then once we look at them, you know, we get the opportunity to see what they could bring to the table to represent St. Kitts and Nevis in the near future,” Jeffers said. “Some players are going to come here and they may not play football ever, but at the end of the day… it’s not how much you do and the difficult things, but it’s just about doing these simple things, because when you really understand football, football is really simple,” he added.

Meanwhile, SKNFA President Atiba Harris, said the Easter Camp underscores the SKNFA’s ongoing commitment to grassroots development and the promotion of football throughout the federation. The high turnout on the first day, he believes is testament to the value of the camp to grassroots football. “It shows that the youth are eager to play football in the country. So now it’s up for us as adults to really lead the way, organize youth football and take St. Kitts and Nevis to the next level. It’s a pretty good turnout,” he said. “You see a lot of boys, a lot of girls turn out for the first day and we’re expecting more come next week as we look to revamp youth football in the country. Especially for the female…you see quite a number of them turn out from the grassroots level up to the beginning of the youth developmental age. So it’s important for us to start to revamp female football in this country,” he said.

The camp runs daily from 9:00 a.m. and will continue until April 19. For further information, interested persons are encouraged to contact the SKNFA Secretariat at 466-8502.