Bermuda Football Association President, Richard Calderon and General Secretary, David Sabir, spoke to the media on the new (BFA) Strategic Plan.
Please read below the statement presented by the President.
I am pleased to announce that the Bermuda Football Association has completed work on a Strategic Plan to rebuild the competitiveness of Bermuda Football.
Today I’d like to discuss highlights of the plan, thank a number of stakeholders for their contributions, and answer questions you may have about how we foresee reversing the decline in Bermuda’s football competitiveness and ultimately achieving unprecedented success at all levels of competition.
I think it is evident that the competitiveness of Bermuda Football has been in decline for quite some time. We’ve all seen the signs:
· Decline in the international ranking and record of Bermuda’s national team;
· Lack of success for Bermuda’s USL franchise;
· Unmistakable deterioration in the quality of domestic league play;
· Difficulty placing Bermudians in leading U.S. collegiate and secondary soccer programs;
· Fewer (quality) youth participating in U-23, U-15 and U-13 programs of diminishing quality;
· Most disturbingly, violence, drug use and other illicit behavior making football increasingly unsafe for players and fans while rendering some top talent ineligible for competition.
The BFA, together with so many stakeholders from all parts of the Bermuda Football community, are determined to reverse this decline.
Our new strategy envisions a long-term plan for improving the competitiveness of Bermuda football in three phases:
· First, make our teams fundamentally sound by focusing on player development, particularly at the youth levels.
· Second, once we have that foundation, develop a uniquely Bermudian style of play that is internationally competitive.
· Third, as we attain greater levels of competitive success, we must not get complacent but rather continue to improve and keep our competitive edge.
You’ll see in the plan we have set out a variety of specific goals by which to measure our progress at all levels from youth to national team for both men’s and women’s football. We intend to achieve these goals by 2014 by implementing a series of initiatives in seven areas:
· Player Development
· Competition
· Physical Infrastructure
· Security
· Marketing
· Resources
· Administration
You’ll see that 42 specific initiatives are described in the strategic plan, and I invite you to read the details.
There are two things that really energized me and made me proud about the process of producing the strategic plan.
· First, stakeholders from all parts of the Bermuda Football community accepted our invitation to participate by analyzing issues, vetting proposals, sharing their experience, recruiting others to participate and encouraging all of us to reach for the highest standards possible.
· Second, even as we were finalizing the plan, stakeholders and BFA staff took the initiative to begin to execute important elements of the plan. As a result, I have no doubt that this plan will be implemented, because implementation has been underway for weeks.
· My deepest thanks to all those who have participated in the strategic planning process and its initial implementation. I look forward to continuing to work with you to realize the strategic plan’s full potential.
I’d also like to acknowledge that this strategic plan and any future successes we achieve will have been built upon the accomplishments of Larry Mussenden and the previous administration at the BFA. Among these were:
· Developing our relationships with FIFA and CONCACAF
· Constructing a first-class training field in Prospect
· Strengthening the partnership between Football and the Government, including negotiating a 5-year, $15M commitment by the Minister of Sport to support key football-related initiatives.
We are grateful for the efforts of Larry and his team, and now that the baton has been passed to us, we look forward to taking the next steps on the journey to rebuilding the competitiveness of Bermuda Football.
Let me close by saying to everyone in the Bermuda Football community—players and fans, adults and children, men and women, Bermudians and expatriates—that the BFA is committed to rebuilding the competitiveness of Bermuda Football. In doing so, we hope that you will renew your passion for and relationship with our national pastime. Nothing would make me or any of us working on this plan happier.
Click on the link below, you will receive the complete plan.
Bermuda Football Association President, Richard Calderon and General Secretary, David Sabir, spoke to the media on the new (BFA) Strategic Plan.
Please read below the statement presented by the President.
