Coaches at the annual Bermuda Schools Sports Federation Primary Schools “B” six-a-side football tournament believe the competition is playing a huge role in the development of the sport on the island.

Eight schools, drawn from the island’s four zones took to the field at the Clyde Best Centre of Excellence, with the teams divided into two pools of four. The top two from the two groups made it to the semi-finals with Warwick Academy eventually crowned crowned champions after a 5-0 triumph over Francis Patton.

Chevonne Furbert, a former Bermuda women’s team player,who has been coaching for more than 20 years and mentored goalkeeper Dale Eve from the juniors up until he reached the senior level, feels youngsters who took part in the tournament need attention in order for them to go a notch up.

“The players in this competition are less skilled and the teams are evenly matched,’’ Furbert said.

“For the B players, it’s more of development and preparing them as they need the required skills to make their A team, so this is a good stepping stone for those players.

“In this tournament, you have players that actually play in the football league, then you have players that do not.

“For those who are playing, it’s good for them to experience the tournament style if they want to grow their game beyond schools football.

“For the players that don’t play, it might entice them to sort of grow in a team, and help the sport to grow more in Bermuda.

Jerome Lightbourne, the Francis Patton coach, sees growth as more essential than winning.

“At the end of the day, development is more important and it’s the key, but the basics are more important,’’ he said.

“They do the dribbling, the passing, and getting to know each other. All young players have strengths and weaknesses at the end of the day, but their progression and their growth is more important as well.

“As coaches, we've to make sure the children know what they’re doing, put them in their positions, make sure they know their positions, and just do a great job.

“It’s not always about winning, sometimes you lose, but when you lose it makes you a better person. It makes you grow because you can look at what you've done.”

Somersfield Academy coach Da-Von Wade views coming out of his zone as an achievement on its own.

“There’s a lot of competition so just to get here is an accomplishment itself,’’ Wade said.

“Once you get here, you have the best of the best so anything can happen and it’s a short game, only eight minutes per half.

“You have to take your chances and convert as many as you possibly can, but it’s not easy. It’s high intensity eight minutes and anything can happen during that time.

“For the B division, you have ages ranging from 8 to 11, so it is good to see the youngsters come up.

“Some of them it’s their first tournament ever because they’re not affiliated to any club, so it’s good for them to come out and display their talent and for those who are new to have an understanding of what it’s like to play football at a higher level.”

Stephan Dill, the coach of Harrington Sound, says nothing pleases him more than witnessing the island’s up-and-coming talent on display.

“It’s beautiful seeing the youth playing football,’’ Dill said.

“It’s beautiful seeing the next generation coming to light. I just always like it because these children could be out doing something else, but they’re here representing the school.

“When I was growing up playing six-a-side in primary school, we always wanted to be the best school on the island.

“For us to make it to the finals and to be one of the best schools on the island to play here is a blessing.”