Bermuda’s football leadership has returned from Sint Maarten following the inaugural Concacaf Grassroots Football Conference, a landmark event that signals a new era for development across the region.
Bermuda Football Association (BFA) President Mark Wade, Technical Development Director Maurice Lowe, and General Secretary David Sabir represented the island at the summit held on May 12th and 13th. The conference served as the official launchpad for the Concacaf Grassroots Charter, a strategic framework designed to professionalize and sustain football’s foundation.
A significant highlight of the two-day event was President Wade’s participation in a high-level panel discussion titled “Increasing Women & Girls’ Participation in Grassroots Football.” Alongside leaders from the Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos, and St. Kitts & Nevis, Wade engaged in dialogue centered on creating inclusive and safe environments for young female athletes. The panel’s focus remained firmly on:
Inclusion and Opportunity: Breaking down barriers to entry for young girls.
Safeguarding: Ensuring a secure environment for long-term athlete development.
Sustainability: Building pathways that lead from local parks to national teams.
The conference provided Member Associations with technical guidance and collaborative workshops, allowing Bermuda's leadership to align their local strategies with regional best practices.
The Concacaf Grassroots Charter aims to provide a structured "roadmap" for all 41 member nations, ensuring that community football is not only accessible but also governed by professional standards.
For Bermuda, the timing of the conference aligns with a busy domestic calendar, including the recent kick-off of the BFA Women’s Division at Bernard Park. The insights gathered in Sint Maarten are expected to bolster the BFA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen community-based programs and ensure the game remains a staple of Bermudian life.
As the region looks forward, the message from the summit was clear: the strength of the senior national teams is entirely dependent on the quality of the roots planted today.
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