The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has today reaffirmed its commitment to investing in all aspects of women in football through highlighting the recent professional development achievements of BFA Executive Board Member Tricia Forde and BFA Club Licensing Manager and Events Coordinator Stephanie Callender, as well as showcasing the recent reactivation of local women’s football ‘on the ground’ in Barbados.

Last month, BFA Executive Board Member Tricia Forde completed a three-day FIFA Women’s Football Regional Workshop in the Dominican Republic, covering themes such as leadership and capacity building, and the professionalisation and sustainable growth of women’s football.

“The Workshop exposed us to the FIFA Women’s Football Strategy, and it was a true testament to the fact that there is not only just a place for women in football, but that there is actually enormous global support for women’s football progression too,” she said. “I found the Workshop extremely informative and inspiring, and it reignited my passion for re-energising the game for the females here in Barbados. I’m excited to use the knowledge I gained to support my work with the BFA to help us to charter a sustainable path together with our stakeholders, and to strive for excellence in all areas of football for women.”

Building upon her experience in the Dominican Republic, Tricia additionally just concluded the 2024 Sports Administrators Course, hosted by the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) and the National Olympic Academy (NOA).

Adding further depth to the BFA’s investment in women in football, is the recent participation of BFA Club Licensing Manager and Events Coordinator Stephanie Callender at the 2024 Concacaf Women’s Professional Football Development Seminar in San Diego, California.

With representatives from countries such as Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad, Canada, and the USA, the two-day knowledge sharing forum covered topics like club best practice, club licensing, league standards, leadership, safeguarding, and stakeholder and club communications.

The BFA have complemented these professional football development initiatives with local recruitment sessions for young female footballers, last week’s Under 17 Girls development ‘friendly’ matches in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and the launch last month of the 2024 BFA Women’s Development Cup; a 7-a-side tournament that concluded last weekend and will resume in 2025 as part of the official Women’s Football Competition fixture. The BFA has confirmed it will continue to strengthen and progress the women’s game in Barbados, and that it is fully committed to all facets of female football development.