Youth soccer is set for a major overhaul that could lead to Bermuda reaping the rewards on the international stage.

Bermuda Football Association are on the verge of advertising for a Director of Youth Development who will be charged with designing a programme for league clubs across the country.

The aim of the appointment is to improve the standard of the domestic game and through that Bermuda’s standing in the soccer world.

“Basically what we will be looking for, and we will be advertising very shortly, is someone on a full-time basis to work both with the clubs and the national team,” said Robert Calderon, second vice-president at the BFA.

“The emphasis over the next year or two will be more heavily placed on assisting the clubs to improve the standard of football at the domestic level.

“What we see is the person, one, devising and developing a plan that is pretty comprehensive and then going about the business of implementing it in each club.”

Calderon said for the plan to work it would need the wholehearted assistance of club coaches.

“What we don’t have is a comprehensive programme in all clubs,” he said. “We do have it in one or two but what we would like to do is take that model and have it spread across the country.

“North Village have probably the most well thought out youth programme, no question about it. PHC are doing some good things and there are others who are doing things.

“But as far as an example of what we are looking for is concerned I would say something similar to what is taking place at North Village. They are doing some very smart things.”

Calderon said youth development had been put on a back burner by many clubs in recent years.

“In the past a lot of clubs had good coaching at that level and there was a lot of interest at that level,” he said. “I can go back to when I played club football there were good club teams throughout Bermuda. An example of that would be BAA. They had a very good youth programme and Goose Gosling spent a lot of time developing that.

“You don’t have as many people interested at the youth level as there used to be.”

Calderon said the BFA was as much at fault as anyone.

“We have, in fact, made international football the most important aspect of our game,” he said. “So, the best coaches don’t go into youth coaching but gravitate from senior football to the international game with the hope of getting international competition and through it touring.

“We have created in many ways a ‘them and us’ syndrome and we need to change that.”

He said in a change of tack, those involved at national level now would spend at least 50 percent of their time in the domestic programme.

Calderon did not rule out looking overseas for a candidate for the job, but said he believed there were some suitable people on the Island already.

“We are looking for the best person. Someone on the Island that has the prerequisite skills and experience working with youth teams and proven success at that level would certainly be a considered choice,” he said.

“There are people who come to mind but I am loathe to name names for fear of it being considered contrived. But yes, there are people who come to mind who could be considered for the position — we will just have to see if they apply for it.”

Calderon said there were a number of incentives for someone considering leaving their current post.

“I think there will be a competitive salary first of all with a three year contract. If you are asking someone to leave a full-time job I don’t think it could be for less than a three year contract. I wouldn’t do it so I wouldn’t expect somebody else to do it. We are going about the business of trying to get funds for that and I think we should be able to,” he said.

“One of the other attractions is that there is going to be a lot of work. Whoever takes the job has got a lot of work to do.

“It is a full-time job in football, working with youth, and hopefully will see them working very closely with clubs.

“Hopefully the residuals will be that they can look at the game three, four or five years down the road and say they had a significant input.”