Embarking on a journey that could redefine their football destinies, 11 young Barbadians are now one step closer to realising their professional dreams, all thanks to the groundbreaking initiative known as A Star Elite.
The budding talents, plucked from the island’s Under-15 and Under-17 divisions, recently returned to Barbados after a thrilling stint in England.
Over two exhilarating weeks, they had the incredible opportunity to train with seven top-notch clubs in England’s Premier League and Championship division, as well as English Football League clubs.
Jireh Malcolm, Maciah Clarke, Rovaldo Massiah, Jonathan Clarke, Xavier Bayne, and Jamarco Johnson have already represented Barbados in football at the junior level.
Joining them were Johnathan Clarke, Kamari Johnson, Shamari Harewood, Joshua Husbands, and Donte Hill.
Kamari Johnson, a dynamo in both football and track and field, left an indelible mark, earning invitations to return to the prestigious academies of Portsmouth FC and Leyton Orient FC.
Kenneth Bonsu, the co-founder of A-Star Elite, told Barbados TODAY about the driving force behind this transformative endeavour, which saw him team up with astute Barbadian Jo Burton.
Bonsu praised Burton’s uncanny knack for spotting talent in underserved communities where the UK football clubs may not have been looking.
The pilot programme and the birth of the A Elite Star Academy, he said, owe much to Burton’s vision.
He said Burton had pointed out that a professional infrastructure for young people at the grassroots level wasn’t as strong in Barbados as it is in England, “and although there were some good coaches, there probably weren’t enough good coaches committing to young people in Barbados and also a competitive league for a longer sustained period where young people could flourish and see just where their potential could take them.”
The England sojourn, according to Bonsu, was nothing short of a success and an eye-opener for the players who delved into a world of top-end coaching and rubbed shoulders with their international counterparts.
He said the experience, while challenging with cultural, culinary, and climatic adjustments, revealed the resilience and potential within each player.
“Which is why 11 young players came over to England, visited between seven and eight professional football clubs from Premier League to the Championship to League One, and understood and learned and got top-end coaching and rubbed shoulders with their counterparts to see where they were at or what could be done in regards to them achieving their goals,” Bonsu stated.
Bonsu stressed that the trip unveiled not only their football prowess but also their adaptability and personal growth.
A-Star Elite aims to nurture wellrounded individuals, acknowledging that while a career in professional football may be the dream, an elite mindset can propel them in various directions.
“We encourage the young people to push for their dreams. However, we do not sell them dreams. We know that a very small minority of aspiring young players will reach and have a career in professional football. However, what we also know is that an elite mindset can hold them and push them forward in potentially other careers,” Bonsu explained.
Returning to Barbados, the hope is that the positive feedback from these players will echo, inspiring more to seize this opportunity.
Bonsu and Burton envision a future where Barbadian youth seamlessly integrate into European football, making it a norm rather than a surprise, thereby leaving a lasting legacy for A Star Elite.
Their dream is that, in the not-so-distant future, the sight of a young Barbadian making waves in European football becomes as expected as a Brazilian or German achieving the same feat.
A Star Elite, Bonsu noted, is not just creating footballers; they are shaping futures and leaving an indelible mark on the beautiful game. rawletoney@barbadostoday.bb
