Bermuda’s Brazilian Football School are going grassroots with their football and mentoring programme.The BBFS will partner with the Warwick Preschool, thanks to financial support from local firm Endurance, to offer 80 preschoolers football skills and positive male mentoring. This is the second year of the ‘Mini Brazilians’ programme and the first time it is being sponsored.The programme is based on having positive male peers interact with the students of Warwick Preschool in a “safe, fun and educational setting”. Each session will see about 40 four-year olds (boys and girls) enjoy football, basic information on nutrition, sports and living healthy.“Thanks to Endurance’s sponsorship, BBFS will be able to offer the programme at no cost to the school or students,” said Cal Blankendal, CEO of Bermuda’s Brazilian Football School. “BBFS is pleased to assist the all-female staff at WPS with our football and life skills programme.“Last year the programme kicked off without a sponsor and this year we are able to have Endurance come on board to provide specialised equipment for the preschoolers — specialised balls and other equipment — and we’re pleased to be able to afford to give the young kids the opportunity to learn about football in an educational setting where they can have fun and enjoy themselves.”Shirley Nosakhere-Fountain, Vice-President, Human Resources Shared Service Manager, described it as a positive project for the Warwick Preschool.“On behalf of Endurance we would like to say a special to thank you to the Brazilian Football School for taking an interest in our young people and helping them emotionally, mentally and physically to develop and grow. I think this will be a positive impact on their lives whether it be a fatherly figure or mentor and we wish them much success. Endurance is more than happy to be a part of this programme.”Said Noreen Bartley of the Warwick Preschool: “On behalf of the Warwick Preschool’s staff and students, as well as parents, we would like to thank the Brazilian Soccer School as well as Endurance for sponsoring the programme. The children are growing with this and having a wonderful time and this will be another resource that they have at their fingertips as they continue to grow and strive for excellence.”The BBFS staff of Dennis Brown (co-founder and president), Jermaine Smith (assistant coach), Jahmeko Harvey-Outerbridge (youth coach) and Blankendal will provide the coaching and mentoring to the preschoolers “two or three times a month”.“It allows us to touch the next generation of footballers at an early age, to instil in them the right frame of mind on how to interact with each other and to enjoy football, ” said Blankendal. “But to teach more than football.”