The Ministry of Education Scholarships & Educational Loan STARS Programme, in conjunction with the Bahamas Football Association, will host the second annual College Soccer Showcase from February 20th through 22nd. The three-day event will expose Bahamian students to collegiate level soccer opportunities with 44 of Ministry’s partner universities throughout the United States of America, Canada and The Bahamas. The showcase is open to students in the ninth through twelfth grade and recent high school graduates.
Opening the College Showcase is the Women’s Symposium under the theme, “Women in Football, 2020 and beyond” with keynote speaker, Karina LeBlanc, CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Head of Women’s Football. LeBlanc invites girl soccer players & parents of girl athletes to come and learn how to help women push the sport further. On the second evening, an information session for parents and students on achieving the dream of becoming a successful college student athlete will be followed by a networking reception with coaches and recruiters. Over 40 coaches will be in attendance, both in person and online for the three days of activities. On the final day of activities, training and workout sessions with coaches will take place in the morning (for young women) and afternoon (for young men). All participating students are eligible to earn scholarships from the participating colleges.
The Bahamas Football Association (BFA) partnered with the STARS Programme to host the annual event because it understood the need to connect talented local athletes with colleges. “The BFA jumped at the opportunity to jointly host the showcase because we have exceptional student athletes in this country and they deserve the chance to see how far they can push their athletics abilities and heights of their gifts. To receive a college education, particularly one that is partially or fully funded by a scholarship, can be life changing. These soccer students would have earned a degree and set themselves up for success,” said Carl Lynch, Bahamas Football Association, Deputy General Secretary.
In just its first year, the Showcase boasted significant results. “The student athletes attending the showcase have a unique opportunity to become eligible for scholarships. During our first year we had six students receive over $200,000 worth of scholarships - some on the spot! Our goal this year is to have more students exposed to college level training and gain more athletic scholarships,” says Jurelle Mullings, STARS Programme Administrator.
The cost to attend the showcase is $30 per student. To learn more about the Soccer Showcase or to register, interested persons can visit scholarshipsbahamas.com/soccer and contact the organizers at 502-9025.
About STARS College Soccer Showcase
The STARS College Soccer Showcase is a 3-day exposure event hosted by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Bahamas Football Association for male and female Bahamian high school student-athletes to showcase their talents to local, US, and Canadian college coaches. In addition to showcasing their athletic talents, all participants will engage in a student-athlete informational session where they will be educated about the process of becoming a successful college student-athlete. Students, parents and local coaches will also have the opportunity to network with the college coaches following the information session.
Press Conference Speakers:
Jurelle Mullings- Coordinator STARS Programme
Carl Lynch- Deputy Secretary General-BFA
Chilean Burrows- MOE Scholarships Administrator
Dion Godet - Head Coach UB
Kellon Lewis- CR Walker Soccer Coach
Chardonnay Garrick - Student Player CR Walker
Christopher Neely - Student Player CR Walker
