New York’s Futbolr Clothing Donates Footballs To Oseta Jolly

From left (non-students) Tevyn Lewis - Special Education Teacher; Michael Dean - past student; Micah Dean (immediately beside Michael Dean), the 2014 valedictorian; Diana Dean, Grade 4 Teacher; Ava Robertson- Grade 5 teacher; Mabricio Wilson of Futbolr Clothing; Gem Asamoah - Grade 1 teacher; and Renu Wilson (wife of Mabricio Wilson), share lens with students of the Oseta Jolly Primary School, as they show-off some of the footballs received from the Wilsons.

The sport of football at the Oseta Jolly Primary school in Blue Hills was given a well-needed boost, thanks to the New York-based Futbolr Clothing and American Challenge, which donated approximately 20 footballs to that institution on Tuesday, December 27.

Mabricio Wilson, Co-owner of Futbolr Clothing, himself, flew into the Turks and Caicos Islands to donate the footballs. The balls were sourced through American Challenge, a football manufacturer, with whom Wilson is an associate.

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Wilson, a former Jamaican International youth footballer, also played for a number of international clubs, including the Long Island Rough Riders in the United States.

“We have been introduced to Turks and Caicos Islands for over five years ago. We have a love for the island (Providenciales), and we just want to extend the love that we have for the people here,” he said, stressing that his love for the TCI has spurred him to climb on board in the area of sport, and football specifically.

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“We are a soccer enthusiastic company, but we want to push the game of life of football. We find that here in Turks and Caicos we have a lot of talented footballers, but there is a lack of resources…there is a lack of opportunity, so we want to help to fix that,” Wilson said.

Accompanied by his wife - Renu Wilson – the entrepreneur told reporters that he has been working with the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA), to assist with developing the sport locally.

“I am working with several members of the association, to helping kids get to college. But here at the (Oseta Jolly) primary school, I think our passion is starting things from the ground.

“Mr. (Dane) Ritchie, who is the (technical) director now (for the TCIFA), I think we will be working closely with him, to try to bring down professional players, coaches,” Wilson said.

Mabricio Wilson demonstrates his football juggling skills

He said that the intent is to have the coaches that would be flown into the TCI to hold football clinics with local coaches and players. He further stated that it is the hope that the clinics would be annual.

Wilson said he, his company and associates, would be endeavoring to assist in developing the sport of football in the Turks and Caicos Islands, so that youngsters would stand the chance to secure college football scholarships, a sound education and possibly professional contracts.

The Oseta Jolly Primary School was not he first entity in the TCI that Wilson and Futbolr Clothing made donations to, as two years ago, they made similar donation to the Enid Capron Primary School in Five Cays.

Mabricio Wilson (centre) joins teachers and students at the school’s sign for a photo op

“The key for us is to inspire the youth and to build up the talent that they would not only get professional contracts, but college scholarships and higher education through the game of football,” said Wilson, who himself secured a football scholarship to Old Dominion University.

Responding to the gift, Gem Asamoah, Grade One Teacher at the Oseta Jolly Primary School said that the students would be elated, knowing that they would now have access to the footballs, which would whet their skills not only for inter-house competitions, but also inter-primary and other competitions.