The Tribune

THE Western Warriors Football Club, an active member of the Bahamas Football Association (BFA) Youth League since 2007, finished the 2015-2016 season with quadruple victories, a repeat of last season’s success.

The boys’ under-14 and under- 17 teams both collected trophies as 1st place BFA season champions, as well as winning their respective BFA Youth Cups.

Additionally, the club’s newest team, a girls’ under-17 group, placed third overall in the league and second in the Youth Cup after just one season.

The boys’ under-14 team played 12 games during the regular season and were undefeated. The team scored 48 goals and ended the regular season with a 39-goal difference. The team’s captain is Marcus Wilson, a member of the Warriors for the past three seasons. During the Youth Cup, they played in the final against Cavalier FC with Juwan Willie and Marcus Wilson scoring, resulting in a 2-1 finish.

The boys’ under-17 team played 10 games during the regular season, winning nine games and losing one. The team scored 48 goals and ended the season with a 42-goal difference.

The team’s co-captains are Jaico Pennerman, Johnson Cenecharles and Ben Mindorff. During the Youth Cup, they played in the final against Cavalier FC, with Ethan Willie scoring the only goal, after an assist from teammate Jonathan Pierre.

The Warriors boys’ teams are generously sponsored by Bahamas Hot Mix, while the girls’ team is sponsored by Bahamas Local.

The Warriors have taken advantage of the coaching and training offered by the BFA, to certify several new coaches, in addition to long-standing head coaches Ezzard Charles and Terry Girling.

This past season, the club’s coaching volunteers have grown to include Mario James (goalkeeping coach), Kai Davis (boys’ under-14 and girls’ under-17), Cherlindria Davis (girls’ under-17) and Benjamin Blanc (boys’ under-17 and men).

The club also receives technical training from Paul James, a former Guyana and Bahamas national soccer team coach, who trains with the team on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Mr James is known for his rigorous workouts and no-nonsense approach to working with his players.

Jaico Pennerman, one of the team’s co-captains, said “he is really tough and unbelievably demanding, but we (teenagers) need tough love; it’s that kind of discipline to achieve these amazing results.”

To improve the club’s technical expertise, Paul James will be attending a UEFA B Licence course in Europe in May.

This year’s team includes players from all parts of New Providence, a focus guided by team manager Saskia D’Aguilar.

“We try very hard to include players from neighbourhoods where participating in teams is difficult, by providing transportation, necessary gear, and waiving registration fees. In fact, two of the league’s top goal scorers, Jonathan Pierre and Johnson Cenecharles, are boys who we support through our scholarship drive.”

Other players come from Queen’s College, Kingsway Academy, CC Sweeting, St Andrew’s School, Lyford Cay School, St Johns, Anatol Rodgers, AF Adderley and St Francis Xavier Church School.

The Warriors were founded in 2007 by Michael Hooper and Saskia D’Aguilar. In 2015, the club was fully licenced by the BFA.

For the upcoming 2016-2017 season, they will field a boys’ under-14 team, a boys’ under-17 team, a girls’ under-17 team and a men’s team. For further information, contact sds.bahamas@yahoo.com or visit www.westernwarriorsbahamas.com