On Tuesday, July 28, the closing ceremony for the annual CCB and Social Security- sponsored Female Football League was held at the Raymond E. G. Guishard Technical Center, where players were commended, and presented with awards, for their achievements. This year, five clubs participated: Super Stars FC, Shining Stars FC, Lil Soldiers FC, Gazelles FC and De Youngsters FC.
The ceremony began with the National Song followed by an invocation by Ms. Jaynelle Lake.
Mr. Alkins Rogers, General Secretary of the Anguilla Football Association (AFA), chaired the ceremony and opened with brief welcoming remarks. He was followed by one of the sponsor representatives, Director of Social Security, Mr. Timothy Hodge, who stated, “It is good to have sponsored something that has been successful and is successful in Anguilla. It is a pleasure to be here with young ladies who are excelling in what you do. Keep up the good work and let the positive things from football accompany you throughout your lives.”
Also speaking at the closing ceremony was past General Secretary of the Anguilla Football Association, Mr. Damien Hughes. He addressed the young ladies saying, “Football is no longer a sport – it is a business, it is an educational opportunity, it is an opportunity to change your entire life, but it is dependent on, whether or not you have a vision as to where you see yourself within the context of the sport.” He continued: “Set your targets and your vision extremely high, and allow football to be the vehicle that will cause you to achieve and accomplish those dreams and aspirations for you, your family and your nation.”
This year, some of the female matches were broadcast live on Kool FM radio. Female Development Officer of the AFA, Mr. Colin Johnson, was one of the main commentators. During the closing ceremony he commented that he was very happy to do the commentary as “it was fun and exciting because the teams played with heart and passion – and the skill level is improving everyday.” He encouraged the players to work hard.
Individual awards were presented to – Best Goalkeeper: Esther Ward (De Youngsters Fc); Best Defender: Labrisca Gumbs (Lil Soldiers FC); Best Midfielder: Clardeena Richardson (Shining Stars FC); Best Strikers: (Coleen Johnson), (Adriana Connor), (Jaynelle Lake) and (Roxane Bradshaw); Most Improved Player: Allysa Richardson (Lil Soldiers FC); Rookie of the year: Ronesha Hodge (Gazelles FC); Most Disciplined Player: (Shadwa Richardson); Hardest Working Player: Mindy Phillip (Gazelles FC); Fittest player: Kerisa Benjamin (Gazelles FC); Best Team Player: Hakeera Brooks (De Youngsters FC); Best Captain: Sharice Richardson (De Youngsters FC); Most Disciplined Team: Super Stars FC and Tournament MVP: Esther Ward (De Youngsters FC).
Awards were also presented to the referees and assistant referees. They were Khalid Brooks, Ambrell Richardson, Nigel Linton, Albert Burton, Kyle Kentish and Hilton Fortune.
The 2015 League champions were Super Star FC, which won the title five times consecutively. They were also the Soccerama and Knockout Champions. Second place in the League was the Shining Stars FC and in third place, Lil Soldiers FC.
Monetary prizes were also presented to the winning teams which placed first, second and third in the following categories of the pre-tournament games: Backyard Olympic, 4v4 Competition, Foot Volley Ball and Beach Soccer.
The ceremony closed with a modeling competition involving players from the various clubs, as well as with the vote of thanks which was done by Ms. Diaz Mussington.
