Kalila Daley, a rising sports star who spent most of her childhood in Bermuda, has committed to play college football for the University of Connecticut.

Daley, who is in her final year of high school at Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts, announced she would be joing the NCAA Division I college in an Instagram post.

“Blessed to announce my commitment to play D1 soccer at the University of Connecticut,” she said.

“I’m beyond grateful for my family and everything they’ve done to help me reach this moment. A special shout out to my dad for always making sure I had every opportunity and supporting me through the entire process.

“Thank you to Coach O [Megan Olszewski] for her constant support and the sacrifices she’s made to help me grow and get where I needed to be.

“To my Berkshire team-mates and the Berkshire community, thank you for always cheering me on and standing behind me throughout my journey.”

Daley, who represented Bermuda at the 2024 Carifta Games in Grenada, came to the island at a young age. She attended Harrington Sound Primary and The Berkeley Institute, before she left for the United States in 2024.

The 17-year-old, who received her first call up to the Jamaica senior women’s national team at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, has credited her Bermuda upbringing for shaping her sporting career.

“I would like to pay homage to Don Vickers and Naquita Robinson for allowing me to train with the Bermuda Under-14 and senior team,” she said.

“The Fifa-directed girls football development programme aligned perfectly with my own immersion in the sport.

“The resulting Bermuda Football Association girls grass roots development programme attracted numerous young players who shared a genuine love for the game, including myself.

“I started in the under-9 age group with the BFA Cedar team, playing every Saturday and most weekends I’d end up staying four or five hours because I would be a guest player at various positions for multiple age-group teams at under-11, under-13 and even under-15.

“At the same time, I was playing with Hamilton Parish Hot Peppers under-9 boys and under-11 girls. “During this period, I also competed for Harrington Sound Primary School boys and girls football teams.

“Simultaneously, training with GS Running Club under George Smith, Chayce Smith and Tanika Rayner helped build my fitness, agility and mental toughness. I still work with GS whenever I’m home from boarding school.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Daley credits Bascome Futbol Leadership Academy for ensuring that she did not lose an interest in football.

“BFLA was another important support system for the under-11 age group,” she said.

“Coach David Bascome held Zoom calls during the Covid-19 pandemic and his willingness to do that kept me getting touches on the ball even while stuck at home.

“As I got older, a major part of my development came from training under Andrew Bascome and Drewonde Bascome with FC Bascome under-13 boys.

“Based on my skill set, Andrew Bascome, a visionary coach, allowed me to play up in the boys under-13 category when I was only 10 years old.

“The football rules at the time allowed me to play down an age group, meaning I could have played under-9 in the boys competition. Even though I was unsure at first, it ended up being the best decision I made because I grew not only technically but mentally through his coaching style.”

Daley, who helped Berkeley win a number of titles in the Bermuda School Sports Federation competitions, also featured for Dandy Stars.

“For my first year of high school in Bermuda, I started playing for Dandy Stars,” she added.

“This continued into my first year of boarding school during school breaks, which helped me to maintain my level whenever I returned home.

“Also, I want to thank my neighbours for tolerating all the noise from me kicking the ball on the wall many mornings and nights because they understood it came from a real love for the game and a real drive to get better.

“Lastly, kudos to my father’s friends coming out to Shelly Bay Field for Sunday afternoon football scrimmage and allowing me to participate while receiving some vital pearls on the game.”