By FRED STURRUP, NG Associate Editor, frederick@nasguard.com, frobertsturrup@gmail.com

Bahamas Youth Football (BYF) is totally a Bahamian initiative.

The BYF is propelled to a large extent by an American, LaLisa Anthony, but, Bahamian Devard Darling assisted with the formation and the program has a full Bahamian flavor. The coaches, teachers, and young players are all Bahamian. Because of Anthony's connection with the National Football League, it is possible for some to get the wrong impression, although generally the BYF has become very quickly a signature item in youth development in Grand Bahama.

Its mandate of the youngsters who are involved, applying themselves to their academics, has the BYF operating on a level beyond other sports programs in the country.

Almost unnoticed, a sports organization that marries education, health, tourism and the economy has evolved.

The insistence by the BYF of players carrying at least a 2.50 grade point average in order to be included in the program, is most significant, something that is new within the sporting landscape of this nation. Ironically within our school system, there have been incidents of athletes being allowed to play despite poor GPAs. In fact, there have long been complaints about arrangements of qualifying GPAs, for the purpose of ensuring eligibility for competition.

In its refreshing approach to academics, the BYF is blazing a new trail in sports here in this country. The health and physical benefits of the program are understood, of course, by all.

The BYF program, once it keeps expanding, will be a domestic tourism/economic windfall for the country as sessions, exhibitions and eventually actual games are scheduled amo. Also, the BYF is getting connected regionally and internationally.

Thus, the potential to host meetings and invitational events becomes quite real.

This is a sports bonanza that Anthony and her associates are about in Grand Bahama, also now Abaco and Bimini. Helping her with the youngsters registered in the BYF are Stanford Duhaney, Daniel Clarke, Sterry Marin, Hetline Nelson, Ronnie Nelson, Richard Dorsett, Greg Duhaney and David Adderley.

Earlier this year, in February/March, the group aforementioned attended a Nike Coaching Clinic in Orlando, Florida. These folks are very serious about the BYF and properly preparing themselves for the challenge of constantly growing and becoming more professed in what they are doing with the youngsters.

The coaches and parents are to be congratulated for their efforts. As mentioned in yesterday's Sportscope column, it is truly amazing that so much has happened in the BYF in such a short time. The fact that the program is so established and strong enough to venture outside of Grand Bahama is testimony to the resilience of the entire grouping that is steering the BYF.

The success of the program creates a situation, hereby it ought to be restructured. For instance, Abaco and Bimini are involved now along with Grand Bahama. The BYF therefore needs to be the parent body officially with Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini under-programs as members. Accordingly as the youth American football spreads through, other island members would come under the BYF banner. The movers and shakers of the BYF might have other ideas but definitely the expansion calls for some re-structuring.

That's positive growth and another prime example of the nation's sports power identity.