It's Friday morning and Devarr Boyles is running slightly late for his first in-depth interview since becoming Bermuda Football Association's (BFA) inaugural youth director.

Dressed from head-to-toe in the latest designer Umbro training gear, Boyles eventually strolls into the meeting room at the BFA's headquarters on Cedar Avenue and apologises for his perfectly understandable tardiness.

It's been 12 months since the former Whitney Institute school teacher entered the unchartered waters of his full-time position where every day is a constant battle against the clock.

"Sorry I'm late, I'm just coming back from organising the field markers for youth football on Saturdays," says the 39-year-old. "I just dropped off the equipment at White Hill so the pitches will be ready."

For when Boyles is not personally ensuring the youth league pitches are up to standard he's either training national academy youngsters at BFA Field, on the telephone to parents so they know what's required of their sons and daughters for the coming week, or sitting behind his office computer responding to e-mails from local and overseas coaches.

"I generally get in between 9 a.m and 9.30 a.m. and start the administrative work relating to the academy," explains Boyles.

"My main remit is being responsible for boys and girls from the age of 11 to 17, as well the girls' side of the academy."

"By and large I spend about 50 percent of my time in the office and 50 percent of my time on the training pitch. I do about 60 hours a week 'seen' hours, but there's a whole bunch of stuff I have to do outside of that.

"Coming in I thought I knew the Bermuda environment, I thought I knew the people and I thought the hardest part for me would be learning the business aspect of the job.

"But I've been surprised, the business side of things has actually been the easiest part to learn. It's the other stuff which has been the most testing."

Boyles cut his teeth as a domestic coach with Dandy Town where he captured the Premier Division, Martonmere Cup, FA Cup, Dudley Eve, Friendship Trophy and Charity Cup during a six-year stint at St. John's Field.

He then moved to Devonshire Rec. where he guided Devonshire Cougars to the Premier Division title in his first, and only season in charge to quality for the CFU Club Championships.

While he admits leaving the Rec. was a wrench, the chance to help technical director, Derek Broadley, establish a European-style academy on the Island and develop a national style of play was too exciting an opportunity to turn down.

"I think the national academy will have a seismic impact on Bermuda football because any day of the week you can go up there are take in a session," he says.

"Anyone can go up there (BFA Field) and take in 15 minutes of a session and hopefully see something of value.

"What we're hoping to develop is a national style. Most recently the players that have had the most success overseas are predominantly wide players like Damon Ming, Reggie Lambe, Tyrell Burgess and Khano Smith. Why is that?

"I think the coaches before us also understood that but didn't know the methods of how to change it. Now we have the academy we can profile players at an earlier age based on their strengths and weaknesses."

Boyles, who has just completed his BFA 'D' Licence coaching badge, believes the national academy has been a unreserved success in attracting the best players born between 1998 and '95, but concedes they are struggling to draw in the same numbers from the older age groups.

He hopes the 16 to 18 year-olds will eventually become willing to make the necessary sacrifices and wake up to what the national academy can do for them.

"We know we only have 50 percent of the players we require, or would like to have. We know we only have 50 percent of coaches we require, or would like to have," Boyles says.

"From the first birth year 1998 to '95, that part of the academy is operating, operating really well. Then 1994s and above 16s, 17s and 18s – there's a push back there for a number of reasons and we need to make it more attractive for them.

"Some of the players are on the verge of their club first teams and then you have all that 'this is bigger than that stuff' and I can understand that.

"But the academy can offer a big opportunity to these players and they must realise training is work as it can shape their future.

"A lot of them are still on the fence about the national programme and maybe don't want to make the commitment. We are trying to change attitudes but that's easier with the younger players."

In a bid to solve the coaching shortage on the Island the BFA have been running 'D' Licence courses with over 160 club coaches either completing or in the process of completing their badge.

Boyles has been learning alongside them and believes it's crucial for the BFA "to grow" coaches in the same way they develop players.

"I've just done my 'D' Licence and will be doing my 'C' Licence. Everything the local coaches are going through, I'm doing with them," he says.

"Just like players, we need to grow coaches. Former players and current players coming to the end of their playing careers are taking our courses and you can already see some personalities coming to the fore.

"Of the guys still playing, Sammy DeGraff, Omar Shakir and Blenn Bean have particularly impressed.

"If we could start the national academy at nine rather than 12 I think it would be better, but then we need coaches. There's a shortage of coaches Island-wide."

Tomorrow, Boyles explains why the restructuring of the youth football on the Island has been a success, the future of the PDL league, the overseas opportunities for players and his personal ambitions as a coach.