CONCACAF Funding For Member Associations

June 26, 2013

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football [CONCACAF] announced the next phase of the “Win in CONCACAF with CONCACAF” program, which provides grants to Member Associations for youth development programs across the Confederation in an effort to build the foundation for a long-lasting legacy of support.

CONCACAF presents $100,000 to the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association:

Win in Concacaf-062213

The goal of the initiative, which boasts a CONCACAF budget of $4.1 million dollars for 2013, is to fund grassroots development programs in each of the 41 Member Associations across the region. Member Associations may apply for grants to fund self-directed grassroots development initiatives, with the Confederation providing up to $100,000 dollars for each individual project.

“The main goal of every initiative conceived at today’s CONCACAF is to continue to empower the region through individual member development, by means of a sustainable strategy that will leave a positive and permanent imprint on our sport and region as a whole,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb.

“This program, along with existing FIFA development resources and other developmental aspects addressed specifically through CONCACAF’s integral development program, helps provide a wide variety of opportunities for all Member Associations in our Confederation.”

The program has kicked off with a series of promising grants to over a dozen Member Associations that have already submitted proposals to CONCACAF, and been approved after a thorough evaluation process by the Development Department.

The funds will be used for grassroots programming such as development of youth leagues and youth coaching initiatives in previously hard to reach or underserved areas of CONCACAF member states.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football [CONCACAF] announced the competitors and details of the inaugural CONCACAF Under-15 Championship, to be held in the Cayman Islands from 14-25 August.

Twenty-two nations — including Bermuda — from across the region will participate in the inaugural CONCACAF Under-15 Championship, to be held in the Cayman Islands from 14-25 August.

Read More About

Category: All, Sports

Comments (15)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Rich says:

    On the one hand there’s reference to funds that will be provided across CONCACAF member countries, and then there is reference to a U-15 CONCACAF tournament that will be held later this summer in Cayman. What most of us don’t know is that Bermudian parents are being asked to foot the approximatey $1,000 per player bill to get to Cayman.This was also the case with a recent BFA Youth National trip to Alabama. A very dangerous precedent is being set here.Have we now created a culture in youth football where you pay to play? We have seen this at way too many youth clubs and now it has crept into our national Program. What are we saying to those young boys that can’t afford to ‘pay to play’? Football was the one sport where money didn’t get in the way of a kids ability to play. It’s a fact that just about all of the best players in the world that have played this game came from humble beginnings, including Bermuda. The US was one of the first countries to make football/soccer a middle-class sport (pay to play). Fortunately they have recognized that in order to become a world force they HAD to tap into a very different demographic–the less fortunate folks, largely from hispanic communties. We are making the same mistakes that the US have finally corrected. Taking away the ability of a young boys ability to represent his country in football because he doesn’t have the money is a very dangerous path to take. This demographic has very little else to get excited about! FIFA boasts about the over 1Billion Euros they have stock-piled. FIFA officials travel the world in style, their executives are so overly paid and this is possible because of peoples love for the sport which forces them to pay hunderds and in some cases thousands of dollars to watch a World Cup game. CONCACAF offcials including ours travel the world to attend meetings usually centered around a major football tournament. Their work at the local level is lacking if not shockingly poor but they travel free to football meetings! Yet the folks that matter MOST in this equation, the players, have to pay to get to a CONCACAF tournament. Jut not good enough–not good enough!

    • What Grinds My Gears says:

      @Rich – 200% spot-on with your comments….. The BFA and BCB are BOTH a bunch of jokers. Football and Cricket in Bda has no hope under the supervision of these entities.
      Just to add to your comments, i hve been informed that our womens team will not be participating in the uP coming world cup qualifiers as the dates now conflict with the island games; THUS, since the team has a better chance of winning the island games, the decision has been to not participate in the world cup qualifiers.

      WOW, U TELL ME, WORLD CUP OR ISLAND GAMES?

  2. Ole says:

    The national football team, at any level, should never be funded by parents. As mentioned by the peron above, the selection / retention process becomes skewed towards those that have the funds to afford participation.

    We see this at BAA and the Brazilian group headed by the BFA VP Blakendal…the saving grace being that they are not national teams….

    • I am glad that someone has finally spoken publicly about this situation that the BFA has allowed to take place. A national team, playing in a CONCACAF competition should NOT have to foot the bill of travel, hotel, food etc. But again these practices started with the current director of the academy and Executive members have allowed this to continue.

      My question is when the executives have been flying to various meetings, who is funding those trips? are the days of soliciting businesses for funding gone away?

      I understand the current Director of the Academy is part time, however maybe more of his job description should be running the academy and its programs, tournaments etc and to track funding for each event he deems Bda should enter and not being the head coach in every team. And this is no personal attack on him, but Andrew Bascome can coach circles around him but I see him answer to Mr. Todd. Smh

  3. Too Short says:

    Elaborate trips by FA executives to add what to these FIFA committee meetings? Shhhhhh let’s hear what the Bermuda delegates have to say on matters cause they have done such a tremendous job enhancing their island’s football. Expert advice deserves first class flights, five star hotels and limo car service to and from official shopping (oops I mean business) trips.

  4. Shoprite says:

    First class footballers, coach class citizens! Feed ‘em cake. It’s no wonder our kids act up in public cause the adults that are supposed to be leading them are POOR examples of leaders. Pay to play is the mantra in Bermuda.

  5. Angry Kiskadee says:

    Too many footie schools chasing too little parents’ dollars. Does anyone know if Messi had to pay to play? Wasn’t he provided a contract with monetary value for him to show off his skills? We have it backwards in Bermuda.

  6. Hungry Longtail says:

    How about educating these kids so they can see piranha feeding around them. “Johnny you will be a star! Just pay me 20k per year and you’ll see your skills improve.”

    Doesn’t Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern, ManUtd, Chelsea and Arsenal pay their players? Why should a player be paying them, ever? This isn’t a work-from-home-business where you need start-up cash to get it going.

  7. Truth of the Matter is...... says:

    Again we have the typical Bermudian small mind that likes to spread mis-information. Where in any of your comments do you talk about the multiple fundraisers that the NA Director has helped organize so parents and players can raise funds to participate? Where in your comments is the sponsorship they seek to assist those who have difficulty with funds? Actuallity is that the NA director does spend the vast majority of his part time role organizing, and administering the program and yes, trying to find funding from corporate Bermuda. Actuality is that he does not head coach a single age group in the Academy, but does cover coaches and sessions when required.

    Lady if you have a child in the program and you have an issue with participating in fundraising to help him to participate, then opt out!! But I suspect that you are an outsider who only thinks they know what is going on. We can either accept there is no money and not have our teams compete, or we can collectively work to help provide opportunities and preparation.

    Football and Cricket have been spoiled far too long!! There are many sporting bodies on the island where parents and players participate in fundraising to compete, and yes pay!!

    Again I say kudos to Todd. The NA is travelling and competing more with a part time director and less funding!! Go figure

  8. What Grinds My Gears says:

    It has nothing to do with being spoiled. Being invited to represent your country has always been an honor and a reflection of your skills. It should have nothing to do with your financial situation. Understandably, there is nothing wrong with fundraisers, but should those players be unable to raise the money and then be told u cant go, is unreasonable and unjust.
    RT is great at what he does and the BFA is LUCKY to have him and the amount of work he puts in as a part-timer. Its only unfortunate that we are in the position we are in now due to a lack of governance and management in the past.

    • Rich says:

      There have been numerous folks that put in longer hours than RT and only picked a fraction of RT’s part-time salary. But I digress. Where is the BFA executive on this?

    • Ole says:

      RT is a minor matter. This is more a reflection of the inept BFA Executive and their very obvious self serving behaviour.

      Again, no national team should be traveling to a competition on the backs of money accrued by the players representing the country. If the BFA don’t have sufficient funds they need to remain in Bermuda.

  9. Ole says:

    The BFA Exec will have members attending this competition and rest assured they will not pay a dime. Hotel, airline and food and beverage will be paid or.. How insane is that? Not one of the Exec played at a decent level or at all – do more harm versus good, yet they are the only ones benefitting from the game…WTF!

  10. smokey says:

    Maybe if we had gaming in Bermudas hotels, cruise ships at the docks etc we might be able to afford thru taxes the money for these sports programs along side education. We must not only rely on corporate business as most of them are here to save money not spend it . Maybe these companies should be taxed a community tax to match the benefits that they gain by utilizing Bermuda as a so called tax haven.