RECORD TURNOUT AT SKNFA WOMEN'S FOOTBALL FESTIVAL INSPIRES GROWTH
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) successfully hosted a vibrant Women’s and Girls Football Festival on Saturday, June 6, at the National Bank Group Technical Center. The event attracted nearly 70 participants for a dynamic day of football, fun, and community engagement.
Girls and women of various ages took part in a series of football activities specifically designed to promote the growth, equality, and long-term development of the women’s game across the Federation.
Head of Women’s Football at the SKNFA, Kalia Huggins, expressed her delight with the immense turnout and the radiant enthusiasm shown by the participants, noting that the event highlighted a massive, untapped interest in the sport. “The turnout especially was something that, I'll be honest, I did not expect because I didn't know that there were so many people involved or want to be involved in football,” Huggins said.
Huggins disclosed that the association fully intends to build on this momentum, balancing the upcoming competitive season with developmental initiatives to keep the broader community engaged.
“The next step is to focus on the President's Cup that will be on the 14th, and after that the beginning of the Elvis Brown Women's League...we're going to put in one or two workshops; we have an anti-doping workshop coming up soon, and then we will have another festival. So even though the leagues will be going on, I can tell you that I will be multitasking and bringing in and doing more workshops so that we can keep not just the clubs involved but also people who want to be back in football,” Huggins disclosed.
INSPIRATION FROM THE FIELD
The festival provided a unique platform for mentorship, bridging the gap between grassroots players and seasoned veterans. Senior women’s national team player, Christi-Anne Mills, found the experience deeply encouraging.
“I thought that they showed really good excitement and they were very willing to be here, willing to play, and they just kept going even when they got scored on and they had fun, which is what it's about,” Mills said.
Toniecia Wyatt, coach of the Village Superstars Under-14 Girls team, served as one of the technical mentors for the day. She emphasized the deeper societal impact of the initiative.
“I think that we can have more girls in football being empowered and doing something that males do as well to show equality,” Wyatt stated.
A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE WOMEN'S GAME
The football festival was the culmination of a comprehensive, two-day programme focused on the holistic advancement of women’s football. On Friday, June 5, the SKNFA partnered with the St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross to host vital safeguarding and first aid training for women involved in football at the Technical Center.
Both the educational workshops and the weekend festival serve as critical pillars in the buildup to the highly anticipated return of domestic women’s football, with the Elvis Star Browne Women’s League scheduled to kick off later this month.
