Reinas Academy grateful for international experience

PERHAPS THE most prominent name in girls’ football, Reinas Academy, recently returned to the island after competing in a series of matches in Trinidad and Tobago. Reinas Academy founder, Neo Oxford, said the trip provided invaluable international experience for his players.

Reinas made the trip to Trinidad on March 26 before returning to the island on April 6. In their four matches overseas, they completed a full sweep over their opponents, scoring 34 goals and only conceding once along the way.

They started their tour with a 4-1 win over St Augustine FC before running riot over Legion Football Academy in a 20-nil demolition.

Reinas would also play an exhibition match against Trinidad and Tobago’s national U-20 squad and came away 2-0 winners before closing out their series with an 8-0 win over Port Fortin Girls’ Football Academy.

Jamaican youth international Olivia Ashbourne led the goalscoring charts with seven goals alongside international teammate Tyesha Nelson, who ended the series with six.

Shylah Francis also bagged six goals during the campaign.

Oxford said the trip was an important experience for the girls, with several of the players competing overseas for the first time in their careers.

“Whether we won or we lost, it was important for the girls to learn a bit of what it is like in the professional world and for them to be able to travel and then play,” he said.

“The main purpose of this trip was for them to have that experience. As I’ve said before, the main emphasis of Reinas is to ensure girls in Jamaica get the same opportunities that the boys get.

“While we were in Trinidad, Kingston Football Academy were in Europe doing a tour with their boys, so it was good to know that the two academies were travelling, one for the girls and one for the boys. So win, lose or draw, it’s about giving the girls an opportunity.”

Oxford explained that he took the time to scout several academies in the Caribbean that would be interested in competitive fixtures against Reinas. During his search, he was invited by teams from the twin-island republic who were open to hosting his squad.

After speaking with the teams, they were able to negotiate an arrangement with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) to host Reinas Academy while in the island.

“The trip really came about with myself just messaging any teams we could find in the Caribbean. I really just went on an Instagram spree just looking for a football association or a club team that had some Instagram presence. We found one and they were able to reach out to the Trinidad FA who was open to hosting us.”

Oxford insists Reinas were committed to the development of girls’ football and will next be competing in the Youth Football League (YFL) ‘Girlz Can Play Too’ U13 tournament later this month.