Premier League legends Andrew Cole and John Barnes are heading to Bermuda to launch a Bermuda youth programme.

Don’t Cut Your Future Short will combine football, mentorship and character-building in a four-day programme from October 1-4, in partnership with the Bermuda Football Association.

The new programme will use positive role models to encourage healthy choices and build stronger futures. It will place Bermuda’s young people at the heart of school, sporting and community engagements involving the two former footballers.

Its centrepiece will be the inaugural DCYFS x Bermuda Football Association U13 Invitational on October 2 at the National Sports Centre North Field.

Confirmed sponsors so far for the inaugural programme include the Government of Bermuda, Belco, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club and Polaris.

The free, invitation-only event will bring U13 players together with Cole, Barnes, local coaches and community leaders for an evening.

The BFA will lead four technical skill-and-drill stations covering footwork, passing and movement, shooting, and defensive discipline. Don’t Cut Your Future Short, working with The Whitfield Group, will deliver two character-focused stations addressing decision-making, confidence, communication and personal presentation, the BFA said.

Players will also participate in a mini-tournament and group activities designed to promote teamwork, self-awareness and positive connections across Bermuda’s youth-football community.

Cole is one of the Premier League’s most accomplished goalscorers, with 187 goals in the competition. He won five Premier League titles with Manchester United and was a member of the club’s historic 1998–99 treble-winning team.

Barnes is regarded as one of Liverpool’s greatest players and a trailblazer in English football. During ten years at Liverpool, he made 407 appearances, scored 108 goals and helped the club win two league championships, the FA Cup and the League Cup. He also earned 79 international caps for England.

Tammy L. Richardson-Augustus, programme lead for Don’t Cut Your Future Short, said: “Don’t Cut Your Future Short is founded on a simple but powerful idea: the qualities young people develop through football – discipline, judgement, teamwork, resilience and self-belief, can help shape every part of their lives.

“Welcoming Andrew Cole and John Barnes gives our young people an opportunity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with individuals who have experienced success at the highest level. Their achievements will inspire, but their stories of hard work, setbacks and perseverance will be just as important.

“We want every participant to leave understanding that football is not only a possible destination. It can also be a pathway into leadership, confidence, healthier choices and a stronger sense of belonging.”

Mark Wade, president of the Bermuda Football Association, said: “Youth development is central to the Bermuda Football Association’s work. This collaboration combines high-quality football coaching with intentional character development, recognising that the lessons learnt on the pitch have value far beyond the game.

“The Invitational will give players from across our U13 league an opportunity to learn together, meet exceptional role models and begin the new season with a shared sense of purpose.”

Cole and Barnes will extend the programme’s message beyond the football pitch through engagements at local schools on October 2.

The school visits will give students an opportunity to hear directly from the former players about the choices, discipline and support systems that shaped their careers. Discussions will explore resilience under pressure, recovering from setbacks and protecting long-term opportunities from short-term decisions.

The following day, Cole and Barnes will support the Betta Dais x DCYFS golf event at Ocean View Golf Club. The event will use golf’s emphasis on concentration, patience and personal responsibility to reinforce the programme’s wider message about discipline and long-term thinking.

The programme will continue on October 4 with a community-led event, focused on physical wellbeing, positive routines and mental resilience. Members of the public will be encouraged to participate, bringing young people, families and community leaders together around a shared commitment to healthier futures.

The programme has been developed in response to the decline in sporting participation that can occur as children move beyond the U11 age group. By engaging players at U13 level, Don’t Cut Your Future Short aims to strengthen their connection to football during an important stage in their social and personal development.

The BFA said the programme will help participants recognise how sporting disciplines, including preparation, emotional regulation, communication and teamwork, can translate into education, employment, leadership and wider community life.

Organisers intend to establish Don’t Cut Your Future Short as an annual initiative, creating an ongoing pipeline of visiting football figures who can support youth development and community engagement in Bermuda.

The U13 invitational programme on October 2 at National Sports Centre North Field will be by invitation through Bermuda U13 club teams. Each team will nominate five players, with clubs fielding two teams able to nominate ten. Registration and parental or guardian consent will be required. The programme that day runs from 6pm to 8pm, with player check-in at 5.30pm.