TAMPA, Florida – Although the models behind their programmes may be different, the overall goals in Bermuda and Puerto Rico are the same as both islands feature coordinated efforts between their respective federations and a USL club to improve player development.

In Bermuda, the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) and Bermuda Hogges have built a new plan looking for similar success to that in Puerto Rico.

A renewed relationship between the BFA and the Hogges has led to a plan that allows both to work in concert with one another in developing the nation's players.

A significant part of the plan includes the sharing of the financial burden and competition with the Hogges' USL-2 opposition as many of the visiting clubs will be staying on the island for matches against the federation's Under-23 squad, which will be comprised of the amateur players who are unable to play for the professional club.

The new relationship is a major change from the previous years. When the Hogges were launched three years ago, the aim of the club was to become the centrepiece of elite player development by bringing a higher level of competition to the island in the form of an elite domestic club team, supplementing the national team's international calendar.

But although the club has helped make gains with Bermuda posting positive results in the last World Cup qualifying attempt, an indifferent relationship with the BFA was perhaps limiting further success.

Over the past year, however, the federation has since seen a management change and the addition of Derek Broadley, formerly of the USL's Reading Rage, as the technical director.

"When I came here, I was confused why there wasn't a stronger link," said Broadley. "There were politics involved, but with my experience with USL I was able to convince locals that it was an important element to work together.

"The change of president also helped because Richard Calderon also had good knowledge of USL. We knew it was important to establish a pyramid system where there would be good support from the bottom."

Broadley had completed a similar transformation in Reading, where he initially came into the Premier Development League side as the head coach in 2005 as the technical director of Berks Soccer Academy.

While with the Rage, he helped build a youth development pyramid via BSA and would later join the club in an ownership capacity prior to his final season as coach in 2007.

"Although the Rage had been around for awhile, it was greatly struggling. Things had gone stale and they weren't doing well," said Broadley.

The former Crystal Palace Academy coach found himself re-building a pyramid at the international level when he was named to the Bermuda post in March of 2008. Since then, the BFA has changed officials and has launched a strategic plan to rebuild the competitiveness of the nation's football.

Part of the new efforts included a visit to the USL Annual General Meeting last fall, where Broadley and general secretary David Sabir met with the Hogges' league opposition as well as other USL clubs.

"The affiliation initiative was something the FA came up with after being at the USL AGM," said Hogges co-owner and assistant coach Paul Scope.

"Derek Broadley, having come from the Reading Rage, was familiar with a lot of the teams and was making contacts. He realised what we were trying to do and the challenges of getting teams to Bermuda."

That realisation led to the concept of the federation focusing on the development of its amateur Under-23 players, who were unable to play with the Hogges without losing their amateur status.

The FA decided to partner with the Hogges, who face additional hosting expenses due to the opposition's travel costs, in sharing the financial burden in hosting the visiting USL-2 clubs. By doing so, it would allow the USL-2 teams to remain on the island a few extra days and play a friendly against the Bermuda Under-23 squad, which was also more cost effective for the BFA because they face higher costs in hosting other international squads.

The plan even mushroomed into the possibility of USL-2 clubs bringing youth or women's teams to Bermuda as well.

The concept will provide the Bermuda Under-23s with at least six-seven extra games against quality opposition with Pan Am and Olympic qualifying around the corner.

"It made sense for us to work together," said Broadley, who proposed the idea. "It's more cost effective than bringing in international teams and it's beneficial for the Hogges to see the future of their potential players.

Economically it makes great sense, and it was good sense development-wise. USL-2 teams may look at some of our younger players as well, giving them more opportunities to play professionally."

While the federation has turned its focus to the Under-23 squad, the Hogges will be the centrepiece for Bermuda's national team players moving forward, especially in 2009.

"The senior team will not be in competition for a couple years so the BFA is letting us look after them, and allowing the Hogges to train on the new BFA Field, which will also be the location of the Under-23 friendlies," said Scope.

Having advanced past the Cayman Islands in the First Round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying on a 1-1 draw and 3-1 road victory, Bermuda's Second Round fixtures against Trinidad & Tobago unexpectedly interrupted the Hogges' campaign last season.

The Hogges' difficulties, however, proved beneficial in the greater good as Bermuda shocked the 2006 World Cup participants 2-1 in the opening leg of the series in Trinidad. Trinidad showed their experience in the second to rebound 2-0 to move on to the next stage.

"Un-interrupted by national team date clashes, we're looking to finish mid-table and challenge for a play-off spot," said Scope about the club's goals for 2009. "We are looking to continue the trend from last season. It's about continual improvement. We want the third season to be a coming out season as far as being competitive."

Long-term, the Puerto Rico Islanders have become an example for the Hogges according to Scope.

"They are absolutely an inspiration, probably to everyone. But it's a model that we were looking at.

"They weren't known for football, and the federation had been out of play for a while.

"Now, the national team is a real decent team and the Islanders now are good too. It is strength to strength there.

"Like us, they struggled the first year. We are looking to have even a piece of their success. They have gotten big support from the beginning, but we're just now getting support from the FA. It is fun to watch them and dream."

While the model may be different from Puerto Rico where the same coach manages both teams, the Bermuda scenario may have its own benefits in comparison, despite the miniscule population base of 60,000.

"We are unique in that we are the only pro sports franchise," said Scope. "Soccer here is traditionally played in winter so we only really compete against cricket, a big past-time, but fans have come out in good numbers so we get a couple thousand on a good night.

"And we play at the beautiful National Sports Centre where even relatively small numbers create a great atmosphere for a game played on a wonderful pitch. Everyone has taken the Hogges on.

"All fans have a local club loyalty, but they come together for the Hogges as they do for the national team because the team uses players from all the local clubs.

That mindset of coming together is exactly what Broadley had in mind on the technical side.

"I think USL is the best model," said Broadley. "When I came to Bermuda, I felt it was important to link everything together. Any development pyramid needs to be on the same setting."

When he was with the Rage, Broadley helped Bermudian players in American colleges by bringing them to Reading.

With the new series of friendlies, those players will also be able to return home during the summer and play against professional teams within the framework of the national team programme.

"My angle now is to get more Bermudians exposed to the European model," said Broadley. "The Rage getting to the semi-finals last year, I think shows the success of what we built.

"Bermuda's Tyrell Burgess is a great success story, signing a several-year deal with Vancouver in USL-1 after playing for the Rage."

USL-2 v Bermuda Under-23

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