Football, it has been said, is the universal language.

Bermudian footballer Tre’vahn Tyrell has been a good example of that during the Digicel Kick Start Academy in Barbados this week where he is one of 39 aspiring young players from across the region who have been training for a week with coaches from Chelsea Football Club Foundation.

The Academy is not just about imparting technical footballing skills, but also developing the players as young ambassadors for their countries.

Youngsters from 12 countries are learning about different cultures and even languages while being put through their paces and two players in particular, Tyrrell and another 16-year-old from Panama, Juan Checa have stood out when it came to breaking barriers at the Academy. While going through their training exercises on the first day, the coaches noticed that they were able to interact and communicate with each other despite the obvious language barrier.

When asked how he thought he would be able to interact with his team-mates who spoke a different language, Checa answered: “Before going to the Academy, I was concerned because I do not speak English. But when I got there, I realised that the coaches and my Academy team-mates were very helpful, so it has been a great experience for me so far.”

Tyrell was a bit more optimistic in his expectations, saying: “Well, I didn’t think I would have a problem because for me, football is all the same language, and once we are on the field as players, we would be able to work around it.”

For Tyrell, however, it took some time for him to fully adjust to new players and coaching styles. “Even though I planned to bring my ’A-game’ to the Academy, I realised that I did not come with enough intensity, especially when I saw the level of skill among the other players,’ he said.

Communicating with Checa on the field was not difficult, Tyrell said. “Back in Bermuda, I am known for being a very expressive player on the field — using my body language and hands a lot. I knew that he (Juan) didn’t speak English, so I used different hand signals to show him what the coaches wanted us to do. And he is a very good player so he caught on quickly to what I was saying.”

Checa admitted being at the Academy took some adjusting to because of the language barrier. “I was nervous when I came to the Academy,” he admitted. “However, I realised that my team-mates were there to support me and so they made it easier for me to play with them, regardless of what language they spoke or what country they were from.”

Both players said their experiences at the Academy were life-changing.

For Checa, it is the first time participating in a football training programme of this kind and for Tyrell, the Academy is an important step in his quest to improve his game and a chance for him to see what is required to develop his skills to play at a professional level.

Chelsea FC Foundation coach Kane Cowburn described both Checa and Tyrell as young ambassadors for their countries, saying: “It has been a brilliant experience for me seeing the players interact on the field.

“Coming into the Academy, I knew that it would be a challenge to get the players to come together and get to know each other given the different cultures and languages, but to see such teamwork and camaraderie happen from the first day of training was indeed a humbling experience.

“Not only have they been able to play well on the field but they have also become good friends in the process, one of the many positive effects of the programme.”

The Digicel Kick Start Clinics programme is aimed at providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the thousands of aspiring young footballers. The players are not only taught skills and technical ability but also an ethos of professionalism and a good attitude, critical attributes of successful people in all walks of life.

Now in their sixth year, the clinics cater to thousands of aspiring young footballers from across 11 countries in the Caribbean and Central America as they try out for their chance to travel to the Digicel Academy.

During the clinics, the best players from each country are trained under the coaches in the hope of being one of the top four chosen by them to go to the Digicel Academy in Barbados to represent their country.

For more information on the Academy visit www.digicelfootball.com