Pioneering Michelle White has made history by becoming the first female on the Island to gain a soccer coaching licence.

White, the current manager of the women's soccer team Royals, was among 19 who recently passed their C level coaching exams and are now aiming higher by preparing for the B licence scheduled for next month.

Jon Beard, chairman of the Bermuda Football Association's coaching committee, expressed his delight with the large number of successful candidates and lauded White for her perseverance by accomplishing something in a predominantly male domain.

The successful coaches were Quincy Aberdeen, Garrett Dill, Paul Scope, Anthony Manders, Shannon Morrissey, Trenton Brangman Sr., Maxwell Dill, Mark Wade, Andre Greene, Gerald Bean, Thomas Ball Jr., Mark Simons, Keni Darrell, Keith Bell, Leroy Wilson, Michelle White, Ashton Thomas, Joe Bonanno and Andre Scott.

Beard said: "What it means is that we are going to have a good foundation for our teams all the way through the Island, the more people who come out and work on the same terminology with the same basic football ideas behind them, we will be in great shape.

"Michelle did a very good job, she has been playing in the women's league and she did a good session during the course and I was very pleased. There were quite a few of the coaches who were working in women's football and it says a lot for the effort and participation and development of women's football.'' Beard will be conducting the A course and participants will then have to go to America for the USSF courses there.

Saturday's weather may have forced the cancellation of some football games, however it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the group of coaches who taking part in the goalkeeping course being put on by Gwynne Williams.

Eleven people successfully completed the first United States Soccer Federation/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Goalkeeping Coaches Licence to be held here.

On a rainswept Saltus Field, the coaches were put through their paces by USSF goalkeeping staff coach Williams. A former resident of Bermuda, and BFA staff coach, Williams developed practices from individual technique through to game practices.

"The coach's knowledge of the local soccer scene and its unique demands, was ideal in helping the local participants learn how to plan their programmes in Bermuda,'' said Beard, also a participant at the course. "Williams worked through the course content with those of the coaches who were goalkeepers, along with national youth team keeper Calvin Augustus.

"The BFA hope to build on this start to continue to improve all levels of goalkeeping.'' The North Village under-15 team kindly gave up their afternoon to help the coaches with coaching 'keepers in a full game situation.

Successfully completing the course were: Tim Figureido, Jon Beard, Mark Trott, Ray Jones, Kuhn Evans Jr., Andy Jekyll, Keni Darrell, Neville Greene, David Bean, Ashton Thomas, Joanna Holburn.

Michelle White: gained C licence.