Rising stars of Bermudian football have been sent overseas to test themselves against the best young players from the Super Y League, writes Stephen Wright

Bermuda Football Association (BFA) identified 11 talented teenagers to head to the United States to play for teams from the youth division of the United Soccer League's (USL) programme.

Shonte Campbell (under-17), Jaylen Bean (under-15), Donte Allen (under-17), Dominique Richardson (under-17), Quadir Maynard (under-16), Naeem Griffin (under-16), Caldre Martin (under-14), William White (under-14), Jibri Salaam (under-13) and Drewonde Bascome (under-17), left for the US on Monday as they prepare for the next stage of their development.

The under-17 and under-13 players will be based in Pennsylvania and Maryland, while the under-16s and under-14 will hone their skills in Massachusetts.

BFA technical director Derek Broadley said the Super Y League will expose the chosen players to a higher level of competition as well as enhance their football education.

"The Super Y League is a USL programme introduced to identify America's top young players," said Broadley. "It's in its tenth year since its formation to foster top-flight youth competition across the US.

"Participating in it provides Bermuda's talented youth footballers the perfect opportunity to hone their skills competing against the very best in the US."

BFA president Richard Calderon said: "We have put in place a number of initiatives that will nurture young players, offer them critical support and expose them to international standards through programmes such as the Super Y League."

The USL Super Y League is the first step for developing youth players in North America.

It's designed for talented players destined for professional careers. The league contains the youth academies of USL First Division, USL Second Division, Premier Development League, W-League, and Major League Soccer clubs.