PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (August 9, 202)—Sixty-five girls, ranging in age from two to 14, kicked off their journeys in football when the CFU held a Girls’ Football Festival at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad on Saturday. FIFA partnered on the initiative, which had the tagline The Future Starts Now! The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) was also a collaborator.

A team of nine coaches led the sessions, which included five stations: dash and dribble, shooting stars, passing pals, goalkeeper goggles, and twists and turns.

FIFA Legend, Tashana Vincent, a former Jamaica Reggae Girlz player and coach turned CONCACAF Women’s Football Development Supervisor, along with Trinbagonian female football first ladies Kennya Cordner, Kimika Forbes, and Victoria Swift, were integral to the festival. The legends worked with the coaches and encouraged the girls throughout the day. During the break dubbed Lunch with the Legends, they answered questions from the participants. The questions included a range of issues, such as managing defeat, imposter syndrome, the menstrual cycle, and more.

The festival, which ran from 10 am to 3 pm, included mini matches. Eight standouts received certificates— Encouragement Expert, Festival Firecracker, Heart of a Champion, Kindness Champion, Little Lionheart, Super Sharer, Sunshine Spirit, and Team Spirit. All of the participants received medals, footballs, and other festival paraphernalia.

The festival aimed to introduce girls to football, to spark a lifelong love for the beautiful game. The TTFA will seek to capitalize on the momentum with its Girls Play program.

Vincent, who started playing at five, praised the initiative, saying representation and inclusion are important currencies.

“It’s extremely important because we have to encourage the future of tomorrow, and for them to aspire to be better, they have to see representation. The fact that the other girls and I were here to encourage them and participate with them and just spent the day with them, I think it can serve as motivation for them to be the best that they can be,” Vincent said. 

“I’m very impressed, and I’m elated, I think the future of football is in good hands,” she added. You could see the joy in their eyes, and most importantly, all of those young ladies were having fun.”

The day opened with 13-year-old Arya McLeod, a participant, displaying her deftness on the steelpan. McLeod played the national anthem and returned later to present two more songs to open the awards ceremony. 

The football festival was a precursor to the 23-team CFU U14 Challenge Series Girls, which runs from August 15 to 24, also in Trinidad.