Bermuda’s Sports Management group, in partnership with Bermuda’s Brazilian Football School, will hold its second Talent ID Academy Development Camp and Showcase, this time branching out into volleyball.

The camp, set for the National Sports Centre from October 22 to 26, is open for junior players in two age groups, under-8 to under-13 and under-15 to under-17.

The younger age group will have sessions from 9am to 3pm and the older players from 9am to noon.

The cost to participate is $250 for the younger ages and $225 for the older players.

There will be a maximum of 100 players and each child should be at an advanced level within their club, school or national academy.

Coaches will come from Holland, Canada, United States and England, and include Bob de Klerk, formerly of Ajax and Toronto FC, Jason Box, the DC United youth academy coach, Jack Bijsterveld, the Utrecht youth academy director, and Brett Mosen, the technical assistant of the Oakville Blue Devils of Ontario, who visited Bermuda last year.

“Oakville could be looking for some players for their academy and be a part of their semi-pro outfit,” said Cal Blankendal, the president of Bermuda’s Sports Management group.

“Oakville Blue Devils are looking to join the Canadian Professional League, which is the same as the MLS, so they will be looking for talent on island that will be able to join that team immediately.

“Jason Box, the DC United academy director, is going to be looking for players good enough for the boarding school they are working with. If you come into this environment and you are good enough, they will find you.”

There will be a separate camp for volleyball, with Bermuda’s Sports Management group partnering with the Bermuda Volleyball Association to offer a camp at Warwick Academy for boys and girls. Lori-Beth Dwyer, head coach of the women’s volleyball programme at Holland College in Canada, is coming to the island to scout for new talent.

“Because this is a talent ID and a partnership between the Bermuda Brazilian Football School and Bermuda’s Sports Management group, a company that I own and manage, we’re now going to diversify the sporting programmes that we offer,” Blankendal said.

“Football is going to be our main programme but we’re also diversifying, knowing that not everybody in Bermuda plays football.

“We have already placed one young lady at Holland College for a football scholarship, Jade Stewart, and now they are sending a volleyball coach to the island to see if there is any volleyball talent here.

“Anybody interested should direct their inquiries to the Bermuda Volleyball Association.”

While completing her studies, Stewart was a member of the Acadia University women’s volleyball team where she completed five seasons as a varsity student-athlete. The football development camp is open to boys and girls, and this year the coaches will have more time to spend with the players. Those who participated last year are invited to sign up again.

“Now the coaches are going to be with [the players] for three hours a day,” Blankendal said. “The football camp is open to females, but it is predominately male, so they have to be at the level of an average male player and be comfortable in a male environment.”

Blankendal added: “This camp provides our student-athletes with an on-island affordable opportunity to showcase their potential to a group of highly qualified and experienced coaches.

“Our student-athletes will have realistic opportunities to receive overseas training, trials and future academic bursaries.”