FALMOUTH, Trelawny – The Trelawny Football Association (TFA) will partner with I Got Next and Make an Impact Foundation — two American-based organisations — to stage a football clinic for girls from which six participants will be selected to travel to America for an opportunity to vie for a college scholarship.

While there, the six will participate in a football clinic with other aspirants who will parade their skills under the watchful eyes of college scouts in June 2023.

The football programme for the Trelawny girls is the brainchild of Coach Michael Johnson, who conceptualised the I Got Next programme. Johnson, a native of Falmouth, Trelawny, now resides in the US.

He, along with the coaching staff, which includes former Reggae Boy Cassman Williams, will select the scholarship candidates from the pool of players.

“These players will be fully sponsored to travel to the US where they will get the opportunity to perform in front of college coaches and scouts, with the intention of receiving college scholarships,” Johnson explained in an exclusive interview with the Jamaica Observer West.

The first objective is to select 40 female players from across the parish, ranging in ages from eight to 16 years, from the three designated sessions.

“The goal of the programme is to identify the top 40 female soccer players between the ages of eight and 16. The selections of said players will be made from three identification sessions to be held across the parish. Session one will be on April 30 between 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the William Knibb Memorial High playground,” Johnson said.

This will be followed by two other sessions to be staged before August.

“Once identified, the youngsters will be provided with sports bras, shin guards, cleats, and a training kit. Their continued development will be aided through consistent technical training sessions with a selected group of coaches to be led by former national player Cassman Jazbo Williams,” Johnson said.

“The girls will be provided with training-day stipends for travel and meals.”

President of the Trelawny Football Association [TFA] Marlene Brown welcomed the collaboration with the US-based organisations.

“The TFA welcomes this partnership and hopes that the investment from the I Got Next organisation and Make an Impact Foundation will see an increase in more females playing football in the parish. We have been through the schools because there are opportunities for our student athletes to showcase their football talent,” Brown stated.

“TFA will work with these organisations for the development of the female programmes, ages eight to16 years old. We are really hoping for a good turnout on April 30.”

Chairman of Make an Impact Foundation Dale Gillmore guaranteed his continued support of the football clinic.

“I think the world needs more bridges and opportunities to serve kids all over, and I think this is a fantastic opportunity for young female athletes in your country [Jamaica] to get exposed and to get an opportunity to go get a higher education using the skills that they developed in soccer. So I’m really excited about it,” he told the Observer West.

Make an Impact Foundation is a non-profit organisation whose vision is to meet the needs of children by identifying worthwhile projects, empowering project champions, and finding donor partners to help meet each need