Former Reggae Girlz Tashana Vincent, who coaches at Ballaz International and St. Hugh’s Preparatory School is among four applicants from the Americas, who have been shortlisted for the Arsenal, WorldRemit Future Stars programme.

The other shortlisted coaches are:

Colombia

[naviga:ul]

[naviga:li]Luis Alejandro Castañeda Vargas, Coach at Cundinamarca Soccer team in Bogota.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Vivian Johana Pirateque Garzón, Coach at

Iguaran F. C. Academy, in Bogota.[/naviga:li][/naviga:ul]

Mexico

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[naviga:li]Arnaldo Correa Plata, Coach in Mexico City.[/naviga:li]

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WorldRemit and Arsenal launched the second edition of the Future Stars programme in August to recognise the valuable contributions that grassroots youth football coaches make to their communities by teaching children life skills they can apply on and off the field. WorldRemit will sponsor two winners – one male and one female – to fly to London for a personalised training session with Arsenal Football Development coaches.

Entries for Future Stars closed on 4 September, and the programme received over 1,400 entries from coaches from across Africa and the Americas.

What’s next for the semi-finalists?

From 20 semi-finalists, the judging panel will select eight coaches – four male and four female – as finalists. Their stories will be shared on www.futurestars.worldremit.comin late October and the two winners will be chosen based on a public vote on the website.

Simon McManus, Head Coach at Arsenal Football Development, said: “Arsenal is thrilled to partner with WorldRemit to recognise coaches who use the power of football to inspire and support young people across the globe. We have one of the most successful women’s sides in the world and are committed to encouraging greater participation in the sport among women. Through this edition of Future Stars, we hope to further amplify the positive impact that female coaches have on their communities.”