Indoor soccer star and former Bermuda international David Bascome has announced the forthcoming Major Indoor Soccer League season will be his swan-song as he plans to devote more time developing his brainchild - the Island Soccer League (ISL).

The 37-year-old forward, who is player/assistant coach of Baltimore Blast, will hang up his boots at the end of the 2007-8 season after 17 succesful years as a professional footballer.

Bascome, who also played in the MISL for Harrisburg Heat, Denver Thunder and Harrisburg City Islanders in the USL-D2, plans to spend his retirement refining programmes like the ISL and his youth soccer coaching clinic.

Smith's-born Bascome launched the ISL earlier this year keen to bring a version of the six-aside game he plays in the US to Bermuda. He will revive the product next summer following his playing career's curtain call.

"I was planning to retire last season but chose to continue - but this year will be my last," said the ISL commissioner. "It feels like the right time to call it a day but that doesn't mean I'll be dropping my standards ¿ I aim to win the MISL championship again.

"I've been playing for the last 17-years - five for my current club Baltimore Blast - and have scored over 450 goals in my career.

"There's been a lot of highlights including Bermuda's World Cup qualifiers in the early 90s, and winning two championships with the Baltimore Blast.

But I've a lot on my plate now with the ISL and I want to give it a lot of my attention."

The ISL came to its climax at the weekend with the All-Star game in front of an encouraging crowd at the National Sports Centre, and Bascome is predicting next season will provide even more entertainment and razzmatazz.

"I want to improve the entertainment of the league and make the product more exciting for the fans, with attendances improving as the league wears on," said Bascome, who incorporated music, live acts, food and sponsors' giveaways into the ISL.

Around 200 local players signed up to take part in Bermuda's first professional football league and coaches of the eight teams picked their preferred 120 players in a US-style draft, staged at the Spinning Wheel last February.

Next season's draft will be the same format but coaches will be able to protect their five best players so to encourage continuity. But before that happens as many as 20 ISL players will have the opportunity to further themselves in the US with Bascome utilising his extensive contacts book to line up trials.

Six players, including Kings' young star Angelo Simmons and Apex's Marlon Rojas, will get trials at Bascome's Blast. While a host of other clubs, including MLS outfit Chicago Fire, are interested in looking at some of the other ISL stars.

Among the other players who will be getting looked at by the pro clubs are Knights striker Aljame Zuill, Kings' Dion Stovell, Arsenal's Dwyer Blyden and Storm's Antoine Russell.

"Teams are interested in looking at our talent range from the MLS to the USL-D2 and I realise we may lose some of our talent," added Bascome who is based in the US. "But that's okay because that's the whole point of the ISL and I sincerely hope we do lose some of our players.

"Bermuda Hogges may also come looking at our better players and that's something we also encourage - the ISL is all about player development.

"Programmes like the ISL and Bermuda Hogges have given our talent a chance to play football in a professional structure and environment. Hopefully that will have a knock-on effect in the way players conduct themselves both on and off the field.

"The domestic clubs must strive to maintain these standards when the players go back to their clubs - I've no doubt they will."

Next summer's ISL will also incorporate a Player Development League for youngsters aged between 15 and 18. Those interested will have to fill in an application form providing their school grades and footballing resume before they are selected for the programme.

It will be run in a similar format as the ISL but on a smaller scale with each of the eight senior teams having their own youth team.

It is all part of a three-year programme and Bascome believes the success of the ISL will encourage many Island youngsters to get involved with some of the stars of this summer's ISL set to visit local schools in September.

The Kings won the Island Soccer League title with 10-9, 10-7 victories over the slightly favoured Knights last month.