March 23, 2020
The North America Caribbean Training Method has created a club partnership program targeted to youth soccer clubs across North America. The goal of the program is to connect clubs with the various national federations and professional clubs in the Caribbean. To date, the NACTM program has forged partnerships with ten national federations and five professional clubs. Among the national federations includes the likes of Trinidad & Tobago Football Assocation and the Jamaica Football Federation. The most notable professional club is Portmore United, an organization in Jamaica who has been one of the most successful Caribbean teams in the CONCACAF region.
The club partnership program is mainly focused on co-branding efforts to help the Caribbean national federations improve their footprint and influence in North America. In return, the youth clubs will have access to national team coaches at their camps and professional players who will make guest visits to those clubs who are partnered with the NACTM.
Executive Director Justin Reid is thrilled about the Club partnership program because it brings extensive value to both the Caribbean and the youth clubs. Reid mentioned, “We have so many plans in store for the club partnership program that doesn’t solely consist of co-branding and promotional opportunities between the associations/federations in the Caribbean and the youth clubs here in North America. We have already begun developing Talent Identification Camps (TIC) for Caribbean federations to scout youth who live in North America and who have parents or grandparents of the Caribbean country. Between Canada and the US there are nearly 10 million youth playing soccer at all levels, so it is not possible for all of them to be apart of the player pool for neither country’s national teams. So this leaves the door wide open for talented players who are either being overlooked, or can’t make the national teams of Canada or the US to represent a Caribbean national team of their heritage.”
There are more plans in store to connect youth soccer clubs with the Caribbean to also include tours. The club partnership plan will also stretch to high schools and universities as the NACTM program believes that the Caribbean has been overlooked for many years when pertaining to soccer collaborations. Reid elaborated, “the Caribbean is looked at as for vacationing only, but there are some really successful soccer/football programs, so it is important that youth clubs in North America tapp the market. In North America, there are thousands of Caribbean coaches in clubs who have influenced the player development of youth for nearly 50 years when coaches started coming here. We then saw a shift in Europeam and South American coaches in the 1980s and 1990s. Yet, Caribbean coaches have remained and continue to make an impact on player development. In short, the Caribbean has a huge influence in soccer on this continent and we want to continue to grow that influence.”
The club partnership program is set to launch April 20th.