helping local youngsters broaden their horizons through sport.

Last year the former PHC coach and current club president was instrumental in securing partial five-year soccer scholarships at Alabama A & M University for five players.

And now he has come up trumps again with 18-year-old Stanton Lewis and 20-year-old Richard Todd the beneficiaries.

Todd and Lewis leave for Alabama this Sunday and are set to link up with locals Cory Hill, Maceo Dill, Shawn Russell and Che Williams already attending the school. But unlike those before them, who were prevented from playing their first year after failing to meet NCAA guidelines regarding Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, Todd and Lewis have already attained the standard.

In fact Todd, a graduate of Berkeley Institute, scored 980 on his test, well above the required 700.

A regular at fullback for Devonshire Cougars the past two seasons, Todd first burst into the senior ranks with North Village during the 1989/90 season. He has been a member of Bermuda's Under-19 and Under-23 squads and plans to major in Health, Physical Education and Recreation as well as studying some business courses.

"I hope to continue to develop my game,'' said Todd, the son of former Bermuda Football Association treasurer Richard (Shack) Todd. "It'll be good to go into another country and experience different cultures.

"I'll be able to concentrate more and the professional atmosphere in the colleges should definitely help.

Stanton, meanwhile has a keen interest in electrical work and hopes to pursue a degree along those lines. This past season was not particularly kind to the PHC player as he was felled by a pre-season knee injury which required arthroscopic surgery that kept him out of the line-up for most of the year. He did manage a solitary appearance in his team's FA Cup final win against Dandy Town, coming on as a substitute.

A former Warwick Secondary School student, Stanton was captain of the Island's Under-19 squad that took part in the CONCACAF tournament in Vancouver, Canada earlier in the year. He also maintains a keen interest in track and field, particularly long jump, triple jump and the sprints.

"I think I'll do well and plan to go as far as I can,'' he said. "I'm just thankful for the opportunity to go away to school and better myself.'' Coach Lewis, who said that he will step down as club president within the next year or so to devote more time to the youngsters, continues to emphasise the importance of a good education and developing one's full potential both sporting and otherwise.

However, he is not against those seeking a professional soccer career first if that is their desire.

"I'm glad for those who get pro trials and can make the grade, but I try to emphasise school,'' he said.

"Why should they not use soccer to get educated. And if they learn more about the coaching aspects of the game they can come back home with this knowledge and bring the standard to a higher level.

"I'm trying to put something back into soccer. No one would have known me if not for soccer. These are chances that I never got and it'll make me feel good to see them get ahead.''