Nuff respect to the Bermuda Senior National Soccer Team. They tried, Bermuda. They really did. I was encouraged by their win against Trinidad and like most of us, disappointed that we couldn’t get the win against Guyana to keep our World Cup hopes alive. But in this dark cloud there is a silver lining. There is hope for our football programme. More on this after the top 20.Holding at #1 is Rolling In The Deep by Adele. The dance mix, whilst not my favourite, is keeping this track in the mix and at the top of charts. Up to #2 is I’m Into You by Jennifer Lopez featuring L’il Wayne. Tumbling to #3 is the hottest anthem on the planet Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock.Up to #4 Chris Brown’s hit entitled She Ain’t You. Up to #5 is a former essential new tune, I Wanna Go, from Britney Spears. You have to give Britney her due; she has bounced back in a big way with a bangin CD and has behaved herself pretty well. Well done to Britney. Let’s hope she can stay out of trouble and keep dropping hits.Motivation by Kelly Rowland featuring L’il Wayne falls to #6 this week. Slipping to #7 is Last Friday (TGIF) by Katy Perry. Sliding into the #8 slot is Give Me Everything by Pitbull, Neo, AfroJack & Nayer.Down to #9 is Enrique Iglesias’ current hit Tonight I’m Loving You, a dance anthem with a punchy beat. Improving to # 10 is Put Your Hands Up (If You …) by Kylie Minogue.Now shifting gears to soca. Tumbling to #11 is the Latin/soca anthem Danza Kuduro, by Don Omar; Pit Bull; Lucenzo; DJ Laz and Qwote. Up to #12, is Wotless by Kes The Band, and improving to # 13 is Bend Over by Machel Montano. Falling to #14 is Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce.Now some reggae. Climbing to #15 is Fly Away by Mavado, who just keeps dropping hits that you hear all over. I heard a guy singing this one on the street earlier this week. Improving to #16 is another hit by Mavado, this one entitled Pepper.Slipping to #17 is Just Can’t Get Enough by the Black Eyed Peas. Slipping to #18 is Beautiful People by Chris Brown featuring Benny Benassi.Now this week’s essential new tune. In at #19 is She Will by Lil Wayne featuring Drake. New at #20 is Party by Beyonce featuring Andre 3000. It’s good to have Andre back after a bit of a hiatus.Now back to this week’s topic: It’s OK Gombey Warriors. It would have been nice to see Bermuda beat Guyana earlier this week to continue in the World Cup Qualifying campaign however, we must look ahead. There are some positives to take from this project, which is not over.People who do not know how success at the highest level in football works must understand that for Bermuda to succeed and qualify for the World Cup is at least a 10- to 12-year project.But good things are happening. There is a bit of money left for football, although with the recession this is likely to dry up as well, but we must continue the development of football at all levels.Boys and girls must play lots of football. School football is critical. Youth programmes must continue to be funded and supported by parents, friends and families. We must have regular competitions at all levels and at all age groups.We must do more to promote the sport. I see no reason why football cannot continue all year round. Now here’s a revelation for some both football and cricket should become ‘year-round’ sports. There is no reason why both sports should not be played for 12 months. The only break should be during Christmas and major national holidays. This way we would have more consistent development. When we have long breaks, you lose the edge and when you pick up again it’s like starting all over.Not every kid who plays football will play cricket and this will ensure that there is a lot for kids to do all year round. It’s worth considering. Football can be played at night in the summer if it is too hot and cricket can be played day or night all year round.But the national programme has potential. We need more international fixtures against top flight opposition. The national team must simply play more matches. I have told [Bermuda coach Devarr Boyles] to stay the course. He has had some success and we must build upon it. The Bermuda Hogges programme is helpful and we must build upon this as well. Any opportunity that any of our teams get to play against international competition is useful and can only help the teams to gel.We have to encourage as many of our players as possible to get scholarships to play in the USA, Canada or even in the UK if possible. Obviously we want as many as possible to also obtain professional contracts. But in addition, we must have a commitment from the players to hang in there, to represent country over club, and eventually, one day, maybe in six to eight years, Bermuda can go further in the tournament than we have to date.But it’s really about having realistic expectations. We cannot expect to do this overnight. It will take time. But we shouldn’t think that we cannot succeed, because that is a defeatist’s mentality.Too often we make excuses when we fail to reach our full potential. I’ve heard people say that we’re only a country of 60,000 people and that the statistics suggest that it is unlikely that we can succeed against countries that have larger populations.To those persons I point to the story of David and Goliath. It can happen with the right attitude, approach, commitment, dedication, patience, confidence, support, trust in God and belief in ourselves.So let’s believe that Bermuda can qualify for the World Cup, just keep working at it and do better next time. I believe that Bermuda will qualify for the next World Cup. We have to all start saying it and believing it and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.I am pleased with the performance and general conduct of the team this time round and wish to encourage all involved to grow the programme from strength to strength. There is potential and there is hope. We just have to believe. Peace…..DJLT