Digicel helped to kick-start the football dreams of thirty-one young ballers through a coaching clinic collaboration with Ballaz Football Academy and UEFA Pro Licence Coach, Xavier Tamarit.
The two-hour, high-intensity session featured boys between the ages of 10 to 15 years old. The participants learned how to improve their tactical and social skills while understanding the importance of discipline and teamwork.
Founder and Director for Ballaz Academy, Andre Virtue commented, “This training session with Xavier Tamarit is an important experience for our kids. For many of them, this would be their first time meeting a professional international player and coach and we hope it inspires them to pursue their dreams.”
He added, “Xavi was invited to understand the context of the academy and to demonstrate to local coaches how to approach training sessions, especially when dealing with kids.”
Established in 2002, Ballaz Academy is a youth development football organization with a primary focus on building the skills as well as the character of footballers. The Academy also has big plans ahead to finalise an 8-year development plan with Tamarit.
“The sport is more than about going pro, it will help these kids develop their analytical skills, how to work with a team, and how to handle a win versus defeat. To be in an academy or club, especially at this age is a great experience and I think it’s something that can have a huge impact on the Jamaican society,” noted UEFA Pro Licence Coach, Xavi Tamarit.
The top-rated coach competed in the Champions League, UEFA Cup, Libertadores Cup and South American Cup as a player. He has over 15 years’ experience in coaching at the professional level and has written extensively on the approach to training for football.
Speaking on the partnership support from Digicel, Virtue added, “I am grateful to have Digicel on board over the years. The vision that I have for the club is very big, which means it needs excellent partners who think big and have good vision for the future of football. To date, our players have been to places like Miami and Spain, and we couldn’t do that without the support from Digicel.”
“It’s a pleasure for Digicel to be a part of initiatives like these and to continue supporting organizations like Ballaz Academy, whose core values align with our promotion of youth development. We believe that participating in sports can change the lives of many, and the family-oriented atmosphere and focus on holistic development at the Academy is a step in the right direction,” said Digicel’s Junior Brand Manager, Kaydean Webley.
