BERMUDA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION P O Box HM 745 Hamilton HM CX Tel: 441-295-2199 Fax: 441-295-0773 E-Mail: [email protected] Bermuda Football Association Strategy for Rebuilding the Competitiveness of Bermuda Football Executive Summary This document outlines a plan to reverse the decline in Bermuda’s football competitiveness and to ultimately achieve unprecedented success at all levels of competition. The decline in Bermuda football is evident in a variety of indicators: Decline in the international ranking and record of Bermuda’s national team; Lack of success for Bermuda’s USL franchise; Unmistakable deterioration in the quality of domestic league play; Difficulty placing Bermudians in leading U.S. collegiate and secondary soccer programs; Fewer (quality) youth participating in U-23, U-15 and U-13 programs of diminishing quality; Most disturbingly, violence, drug use and other illicit behavior are making football increasingly unsafe for players and fans while rendering some top talent ineligible for competition. This strategy envisions a long-term plan for improving the competitiveness of Bermuda football in three phases: 1. Make our teams fundamentally sound. 2. Develop a uniquely Bermudian style of play. 3. Continually innovate faster than competitors can adapt to our growing success. By 2014, implementation of Phases 1 and 2 of the long-term plan will require the BFA to mobilize its own resources and those of all stakeholders in Bermuda’s football community to address seven issues:: 1. Competition: Teams must re-establish sound fundamentals and maximize opportunities to engage high quality opponents. 2. Player Development: Highly qualified coaches, referees and team administrators must cultivate a larger number of more talented players. 3. Physical Infrastructure: Facilities, equipment and information technology must improve to meet international standards. 4. Security: Bermudians must enjoy football-related activities in complete safety. 5. Marketing: Bermuda football must rebuild its bond with current and future generations of fans. 6. Resources: The availability of cash and quality services must not constrain the renewal of Bermuda football. 1 BERMUDA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION P O Box HM 745 Hamilton HM CX Tel: 441-295-2199 Fax: 441-295-0773 E-Mail: [email protected] 7. Administration: Football organizations must comply with sound fiduciary and managerial policies. To support implementation of this agenda the BFA will reorganize itself to align its committee structure and support staff with these seven issue areas. All of the BFA’s resources will be singularly devoted to the implementation of this strategy, including its goals and key initiatives. Implementation will begin with specific milestones for the first 90 days of 2009. This strategy has been developed in close consultation with stakeholders throughout the Bermuda Football community. A. Measuring the Competitiveness of Bermuda Football This singular focus of this strategy will be to make specific and measurable improvements in the competitiveness of Bermuda Football. This section sets out metrics for evaluating the competitiveness of football at various levels for men/boys and women/girls. For each metric there are specific goals that Bermuda Football should achieve by implementing the action plans outlined later in this strategy. If Bermuda Football achieves these goals it will undeniably have become more competitive. At one time Bermuda was considered a football power in the Caribbean Region. Bermuda’s national team could compete with CONCACAF’s best, its domestic league boasted vibrant clubs and high quality competition, and its youth and citizens looked to football proudly as Bermuda’s national pastime. Currently, Bermuda is simply not very competitive in football at any level. As the metrics in Table 1 document, the competitiveness of Bermuda football for men and boys has declined at all levels from the national team to entry-level youth leagues. The focus of this strategy will be to see that Bermuda Football’s competitiveness improves sufficiently to achieve specific goals by 2014. Table 1: Measuring the Competitiveness of Football in Bermuda for Men/Boys Team/Player Past Recent/Current Goals to Achieve Key Metric Cohort High Point Performance by 2014 Olympics N/A N/A Qualify Bronze Medal Bronze Medal CAC Games Medal (1979) (1983) Silver Medal Senior National Pan American Games Qualified (1996) Qualify (1967) Team / U-23 Did not Qualify Qualify for Gold National Team Digicel/Gold Cup N/A (2007) Cup 3rd Qualifying 2nd Qualifying 2nd Qualifying World Cup Round (1994) Round (2008) Round CONCACAF Ranking 16 (2007) 16 (2007) 10 Premier Division / CONCACAF Club Losing Finalist 2nd Round 2 BERMUDA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION P O Box HM 745 Hamilton HM CX Tel: 441-295-2199 Fax: 441-295-0773 E-Mail: [email protected] Bermuda Championship (Year?) Professionals No. of Players on MLS or 9 NASL; 1 EPL 1 MLS (2008); 4 European Rosters (1970’s) 2 EPL (~2000) Players in Top US or 27 (1970’s) 13 30 University-Age Canadian College Programs Bermudians Players on European 1 (2008) 1 3 Academy Teams Caribbean Caribbean World Cup Region Semi- Region Semi- Qualify Youth National Finalist (2008) Finalist (2008) Teams Competitive Matches Win 5 of 10 Against Quality Youth N/A N/A Matches Teams from US or Canada Annually Players on Scholarship in 5 5 30 Bermuda Youth US or Canada Teams / Players Players on European 1 1 3 Academy Teams One positive development has been the emergence of women’s football in Bermuda. Over the past twenty years more girls have played the game, and more women have continued to the play the game farther into adulthood. Currently, the competitiveness of women’s/girls’ football is still fragile and at risk of regressing without thoughtful and well-resourced support. Any discussion about improving the competitiveness of Bermuda Football must measurably advance the game for women and girls as well as for men and boys. Table 2 sets out a set of metrics and specific goals for achieving this advance for women and girls. Table 2: Measuring the Competitiveness of Football in Bermuda for Women/Girls Team/Player Past Recent/Current Goals to Achieve Key Metric Cohort High Point Performance by 2014 Senior National CONCACAF Ranking N/A N/A 10 Team Number of Teams in Premier Division 7 (2007) 5 (2008) 10 Domestic League University-Age Players in Top US or 14 (2000’s) 5 (2008) 20 Bermudians Canadian College Programs 2nd Round of World Cup N/A N/A CONCACAF U-17 National Qualifying Teams Competitive Matches Win 3 of 6 Against Quality Youth N/A N/A Matches Teams from US or Canada Annually Bermuda Youth Players on Scholarship in N/A 1 (2008) 10 Teams / Players US or Canada 3 BERMUDA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION P O Box HM 745 Hamilton HM CX Tel: 441-295-2199 Fax: 441-295-0773 E-Mail: [email protected] If our teams achieve these objectives, Bermuda can once again claim to be competitive in football. B. Accountability for the Competitiveness of Bermuda Football Those most directly accountable for achieving the competitiveness goals must always be the players and teams who compete on the field. Our teams are the only ones who can actually compete and achieve the competitive goals set in this strategy. However, the success of each player is dependent upon assistance from his or her support network that includes coaches, training programs, educators, family and others; the same is true for each team and its support network of suppliers, sponsors, technical advisors and others. Players and teams are in turn dependent upon “foundational” football partners like referees, facilities operators, league officials and fans themselves to provide a compelling and high quality environment in which to develop and compete. These support networks and foundational may be domestic or international—what matters is whether they offer experience, skills, services or other capabilities that will legally advantage our teams in competition. The BFA will be accountable for playing two roles: “leader” and “ombudsman.” As Leader the BFA will promote positive developments within the football community to setting clear goals, encouraging partnerships, coordinating activity and securing necessary resources. As ombudsman, the BFA can reduce barriers to success by arbitrating disputes, enforcing commitments and promoting unity of vision and values among football’s stakeholders. C. Strategy for Improving the Competitiveness of Bermuda Football: Concept This strategy envisions a three-phase process for improving the competitiveness of Bermuda Football over the next 10-15 years. These phases will proceed sequentially, as success in the first phase is necessary for success in the second, and success in the second phase is necessary for achieving success in the third. Phase I: Make our teams fundamentally sound. Nations that have achieved and sustained high levels of competitiveness have had fundamentally sound players and teams as the cornerstone of their success. There are no meaningful exceptions to this principle. If a player is technically sound, he/she has more confidence when in possession of the ball, which allows for more creativity and willingness to attempt the more daring / effective moves; ability to make accurate short or long passes; longer team possession etc. Currently our players are lacking in this area and as such we often rely on the long unimaginative pass; are uncomfortable under the slightest pressure from the opposition and the team performance is mostly unattractive to the fans and ineffective against better opposition. Consequently the first priority for Bermuda must be to strengthen football fundamentals at all levels of the game. Rebuilding fundamentals will require time and in practice this will be easier to achieve with younger players. The combination of these two factors implies that a disproportionate share of the player development resources available should be targeted at youth and young adult players so 4 BERMUDA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION P O Box HM 745 Hamilton HM CX Tel: 441-295-2199 Fax: 441-295-0773 E-Mail: [email protected] that the payoff of enhanced development will coincide with these players entering their competitive primes.