Henrik Schroder, one of five people on island named in the New Year’s Honours List, hopes that receiving his King’s Certificate and Badge of Honour will help Bascome FC reach greater heights.

Schroder, the ABC Football Foundation chairman and treasurer of Bascome Football School, has been honoured for exceptional services to youth football development in Bermuda, spanning more than 20 years of voluntary contribution.

“If this recognition helps support Andrew Bascome and I in our lifelong pursuit, the award is a significant milestone and recognition,” Schroder told The Royal Gazette.

“Why we do this is very simple, sports is one of the best forms of youth development to help foster responsible and dedicated citizens of any country.

“Team sports brings added benefit in an ever more isolated and individually focused world. If combined with academic pursuit and focus, it completes the personal development of a young person.

“There is ample evidence of these facts, so we are just executing on a very well known and accepted playbook.”

Schroder has been working with Bascome since 2010, with the two driving forces at the top having done a lot for the betterment of footballers and coaches on island.

“After initial contact with David Bascome and the Bank of Bermuda Pro Soccer Clinics, I was introduced to Andrew Bascome,” the 70-year-old Schroder said.

“It is a relationship that has blossomed into a 15-year friendship and partnership and every year we are trying to make Bermuda youth football be able to better deliver on its position as the pre-eminent national sport and passion of the people.

“On this journey we have been supported by people like Richard and Robert Calderon and through them we were introduced to our biggest mentor of all, the late Jacques Crevoisier.

“Together, the three of us wrote four Bermuda specific youth coaching handbooks. We introduced the Uefa equivalent coaching licence, licensed over 100 youth coaches, introduced the Scottish FA to Bermuda football and helped more than 15 Bermudian coaches to obtain Uefa B licence status.

“We formed the Bermuda Football Coaches Association and invited Valencia FC from Spain to run camps and coaching seminars.

“All of these activities only had one focus, to improve Bermuda youth football through internationally recognised coach education. open to all. Today our focus is on individual youth football player development through age appropriate technical and positional focused training, combined with academic pursuit.

“Over the last two years more than 20 players aged 12 to 18 have left for accredited UK and US boarding schools with football academies or associated high-level football programmes.

“Two are at US or Canadian universities playing for their teams. Many of the players have been supported by bursary support from ABC Football Foundation.”

Although delighted to receive the award, Schroder feels the honour should have gone to Bascome.

“None of what has been achieved by ABC Football Foundation and Bascome Football School would have been possible without Andrew Bascome’s tireless determination,” he said.

“His passion and unselfish pursuit of these objectives are always viewed through the lens of what is best for Bermuda’s football and its youth.

“If there is one person who should be recognised it is him. I have only applied my experience as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist to help support Andrew and Jacques Crevoisier, in this lifelong journey.

“The results have been personally very satisfying with over 250 children and young people growing as people and football players every year.”