President of the Dominica Football Association (DFA) Glen Etienne says that his organization has taken seriously its mandate, through their expressed vision, of presenting to Dominica, a well-governed and stakeholder-centric DFA.
He made those remarks as he addressed a brief ceremony at the Patrick John Football House in Bath Estate where the local Football Association (FA) handed scholarship cheques to recipients (two) girls and four boys as part of the FA initiative.
According to Etienne, that mandate entails DFA being the driver behind football and being a vehicle for an improved quality of life for all Dominicans while achieving success on the global stage.
“We believe that every organization, whether sports or otherwise should impact its clients positively and assist them in gaining a better life. The Association has, over the years, provided the youth, adults, and football enthusiasts with many avenues to enjoy the game of football through many of its programs,” Etienne stated.
“Through the sport of football, we have catered for the emotional, physical, social development of our participants. But DFA has gone beyond its responsibility in sports, to support our players in their educational pursuits.”
The Dominica Football Association he said, is again fulfilling its civic duty and playing its part in supporting the development of the people and eventually the greater society through sports and in this instance through education.
“Today is a very important day for us as we reach out to 6 students who have been involved in our programs. They all will receive a scholarship in the amount of $2000.00. This financial contribution should go a long way in helping them secure the essentials for a successful school year. This scholarship will be further extended to them as they get promoted yearly through their secondary school journey,” he remarked.
In extending congratulations to the students on their selection for this DFA scholarship, the DFA Boss urged parents, to ensure that the money is put into good use. “We encourage you the students to work hard at school and to be as diligent as you have been in the past. Please note that you will forfeit that scholarship if you repeat any class thus, denying yourselves and your parents of this much-coveted gesture. A good education signals a good future for you and your families.”
“I want to wish every one of you the best in your educational journey. Work hard and be the best students you can be. Please be good examples of sportspersons who can also excel in school. but importantly, be good citizens of our nation. Be respectful to all and show love to the persons in your lives. Let it not be said of you that you are disrespectful or lazy. Be ambitious and aspire to greatness. Use all that you have at your disposal to learn and educate yourselves. But do remember to come back and say thank you. This has been a missing part of the formula. Live a life of gratitude and remember to thank God because he is the source of life and everything else that you need. Let us be proud of you and your accomplishments,” Etienne stated.
“You have now joined the many other DFA scholarship recipients, including our student-athletes who we have supported overseas at colleges. DFA is committed to human resource development. DFA is about people’s development. I implore all our sportspersons especially the young athletes to seek after healthy minds in healthy bodies. Get involved in football because it pays to play.”
Also sharing words of advice to the young students was Sports Co-Ordinator Trevor Shillingford who called on them to “be committed to achieving educational success even through sports.”
The students are girls Jernita Coipel and Akeelah Pascal and boys Avery Jeden Jno Baptiste, Chance Evan Roy Marshall, Christiano McDonald, and Kenneth Valmond.
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