The national under-19 cricket team had the opportunity to dive into the world of American Football on Good Friday with expert Robert Okereke of the New York Giants.
NY Giants linebacker Okereke indicated that the Kids Clinic facilitated at Maxwell Sports Club saw potential NFL athletes from the Barbados cricket team lineup.
“We have a couple of quarterbacks, a couple of corners, and a couple of wide receivers, so I think we will have some future NFL recruits,” he told local reporters.
The first-time visitor was pleased with the passion and quality of the Barbadian athletes.
Ethan Meldey, the New York Giants’ Director of Community Relations and Youth Football, expressed his hope to see a league established in Barbados.
“It is our hope that there will be a full league here in five years—maybe or maybe not. It takes one person to do something incredible wherever you go,” he said.
The Kids Clinic is part of a multi-year partnership between the New York Giants and Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. to increase Barbados’s brand visibility.
“A big part of our collaboration is cultural emerging, and not simply us showcasing our culture but them, in the format of this clinic, showing us a bit of their culture as well and American football,” explained Tenisha Holder, BTMI Senior Business Development Officer.
Noting that sports are a universal language, Medley said that the exchange of sports had been a “transfer of passion and love.”
During their visit to the island, the New York Giants learned about cricket from legends Ian Bradshaw and Dwayne Smith and Barbados’ indigenous sport, road tennis.
