The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) has announced the details for the 2018 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship. This year’s girls’ under-15, which will be the largest Concacaf tournament ever for female participants, will feature the participation of a record amount of Concacaf Member Associations and two invited teams from UEFA.
Trinidad and Tobago placed third in the 2014 competition. The current T&T U-15 girls Elite programme has been ongoing for over a year now with head coach Marlon Charles overseeing the preparations of the players with sessions held up to four days per week.
The developmental tournament is scheduled for August 6-13, 2018 at the world-renowned IMG Academy campus in Bradenton, Florida. Concacaf returns to IMG following a successful Boys’ Under-15 Championship held there last year, which featured a record 39 teams from across the Confederation.
“This year’s Girls’ Under-15 Championship exemplifies Concacaf’s commitment to providing access to world class playing environments for more of our young players from across the region,” said Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio. “We’re pleased to return to IMG Academy, and we’re especially excited to see so many young women from across the region get the chance to experience a top-level Concacaf competition. This event will be a positive influence for these girls in both their playing careers and young lives.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Concacaf and its Member Associations back to our campus and community,” said IMG Academy Co-Managing Director Chip McCarthy. “Like Concacaf, our mission is to provide the best opportunities for athletes from around the world and we look forward to seeing their athletes compete on an international stage.”
As part of a year of women’s football in Concacaf that includes the Concacaf Women’s Championship, and the Women’s Under-17 and Under-20 Championship, the expanded Girls’ Under-15 Championship will provide access to international football for over 500 girls from across the Concacaf region, enhancing opportunity for long-term development and growth of the women’s game in the region.
In total, nearly two-thousand female athletes will participate in Concacaf championships this year across the region. Centralized tournaments such as the Girls’ Under-15 Championship and regional qualifying tournaments in the Caribbean and Central America are providing more football for more of Concacaf’s women’s teams across levels, assuring that the region’s women are well served through the One Concacaf philosophy of access to quality football for more Concacaf athletes.
The participating member association, groups, schedule and format of the tournament will be announced in the near future. To ensure sporting balance and fully leverage this unique development opportunity for the full contingent of young Concacaf and invited players, member associations will be divided into divisions. All will be guaranteed a minimum number of competitive matches during the week-long competition.