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Our Mission

Our mission is to strengthen community engagement by creating opportunities for young people in The Bahamas to grow physically, emotionally, and academically. We are committed to expanding access to the game of soccer, ensuring that everyone has the chance to play and benefit from the sport.

  • Mentorship & Lifestyle: Inspiring young athletes to stay active, healthy, and focused on growth.

  • Player Development: Supporting clubs in developing talent from grassroots programs to elite competition.

  • Scholarship Success: Over $1 million in scholarships secured since 2011 for Bahamian players at local and international schools and universities.

 

A Message from our Founder and Motivation To Every Athlete

In 2011, I returned home from playing professional soccer in the United States and decided to spend my off-season as a coach, training kids at some of the private schools local to my home in Nassau, Bahamas. During my new role as a coach, and whilst watching a public-school tournament (organized by the Bahamas Football Association), I was amazed to see the level of natural skill and ability displayed, regardless of the lack of extensive coaching or practice. I knew then that what I really wanted to do was to help nurture and develop opportunities for all the children in the Bahamas, and so YESI or Youth Empowerment Through Soccer International was born. The vision started to evolve with daily clinics being held in our poorer neighborhoods, or "grassroots" areas, throughout the island of New Providence. We were quickly drawn to an old proverb: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime". It became clear very quickly that sporadically visiting different villages whenever we had the time or resources available to take them food and soccer supplies, was not enough. I realized that to be able to truly support the youth of that village I would have to learn more about each individual child, their background, their family situation, and their living conditions. In September of 2012, YESI started its full-time soccer program at a facility adjacent to Gambier Primary School. Gambier is one of the oldest villages in New Providence, located 9 miles west of Nassau. Our relationship with the Gambier community remains strong today. In addition to Gambier, we have cultivated a relationship with the Adelaide community as well, and now partner with other clubs and even the Family Islands to bring more soccer programming to Bahamian youth. YESI has made a commitment to these children, who in turn have made a commitment to themselves to train hard, behave responsibly and most importantly, believe they can turn their dreams of a brighter future into a reality.

Happy Hall, Founder of YESI