Don’t Cut Your Future Short will combine football, mentorship and character-building in a four-day programme from 1–4 October, in partnership with the Bermuda Football Association.
Premier League greats Andrew Cole and John Barnes will visit Bermuda this October to help launch Don’t Cut Your Future Short, a new youth programme using football, mentorship and positive role models to encourage healthy choices and build stronger futures.
The four-day programme, taking place from October 1st – 4th 2026, will place Bermuda’s young people at the heart of school, sporting and community engagements involving the two celebrated former footballers.
Its centrepiece will be the inaugural DCYFS x Bermuda Football Association Under 13 Invitational on Friday, October 2nd at the National Sports Centre North Field.
Confirmed sponsors so far for the inaugural programme include the Government of Bermuda, BELCO, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club and Polaris.
The free, invitation-only event will bring Under 13 players together with Cole, Barnes, local coaches and community leaders for an evening that gives character development the same prominence as footballing ability.
Players will also participate in a mini-tournament and group activities designed to promote teamwork, self-awareness and positive connections across Bermuda’s youth-football community.
Cole is one of the Premier League’s most accomplished goalscorers. A 2024 Premier League Hall of Fame inductee, he scored 187 goals in the competition, won five Premier League titles with Manchester United and was a member of the club’s historic 1998–99 Treble-winning team.
Barnes is widely regarded as one of Liverpool’s greatest players and an important trailblazer in English football. During ten years at Liverpool, he made 407 appearances, scored 108 goals and helped the club win two league championships, the FA Cup and the League Cup. He also earned 79 international caps for England.
Tammy L. Richardson-Augustus JP, Programme Lead for Don’t Cut Your Future Short, said:
“Don’t Cut Your Future Short is founded on a simple but powerful idea: the qualities young people develop through football – discipline, judgement, teamwork, resilience and self-belief, can help shape every part of their lives.
“We want every participant to leave understanding that football is not only a possible destination. It can also be a pathway into leadership, confidence, healthier choices and a stronger sense of belonging.”
Mark Wade, President of the Bermuda Football Association, said:
“Youth development is central to the Bermuda Football Association’s work. This collaboration combines high-quality football coaching with intentional character development, recognising that the lessons learned on the pitch have value far beyond the game.
“The Invitational will give players from across our U13 league an opportunity to learn together, meet exceptional role models and begin the new season with a shared sense of purpose.”
Connecting with students and the wider community
Cole and Barnes will extend the programme’s message beyond the football pitch through engagements at local schools on Friday, 2 October.
The school visits will give students an opportunity to hear directly from the former players about the choices, discipline and support systems that shaped their careers. Discussions will explore resilience under pressure, recovering from setbacks and protecting long-term opportunities from short-term decisions.
U13 Invitational details
Date: Friday, 2 October 2026
Venue: National Sports Centre North Field
Player check-in: 5:30 p.m.
Programme: 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Participation: By invitation through Bermuda U13 club teams
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