Press Release

Launch of the 2022 Free Kick Youth Cup

Written by Radio Caribbean International on January 28, 2022

Free Kick foundation announces the launch of the 2022 Free Kick Youth Cup

On Friday, 28 January the Free Kick Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to empowering and inspiring youth through football and academic scholarships, is announcing the launch of the inaugural 2022 Free Kick Youth Cup, a one of its kind international club football competition, 26th July to 1st of August 2022 at The Daren Sammy Cricket Grounds, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.

The 2022 Free Kick Youth Cup is a new U19 football competition featuring club teams from 16 countries. The week-long event will provide teams from all corners of the globe an opportunity to showcase their talent and measure their ability against players in the same age category, in the presence of US college recruiting coaches and scouts. Club teams from St Lucia, the Caribbean, USA, Canada, the UK, Africa and other countries will compete for the Cup in a group stage followed by a knockout, semifinal and final. The final matches will be televised on Flow Sports in the Caribbean, and available on streaming platforms worldwide.

The Free Kick Foundation, founded by Saint Lucian native Aaron King has been hosting youth football tournaments, player showcases, career seminars and other youth events in the Caribbean since 2015. “We’ve awarded over 75 college scholarships to student athletes though our programs, King said. “The 2022 Free Kick Youth Cup is a very natural next step for the Foundation, as we expand our competitions to a higher level on an international scale while we continue to provide academic opportunities for participants.”

The competition is family friendly and open to spectators and will include a Football Fan Zone, Mixer event and other activities. The Free Kick Youth Cup Mascots Frei and Kicker will be on hand all week to interact with fans and players, alongside the Free Kick brand ambassadors who are football legends including Former St. Lucian striker Earl Jean, Former Trinidad and Tobago World Cup player Russell Latapy, Former Canadian and MLS legend Dwayne DeRosario and Former Trinidad and Tobago World Cup player and English Premier League striker Kenwyne Jones.

The official Free Kick Youth Cup VIP, invitation-only press event will take place at 5:30 on Saturday 29, January at the beautiful Royalton, St. Lucia Resort and Spa.

About The Free Kick Foundation
The Free Kick Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 U.S. based and registered charitable organization. It was founded in 2015, as a vehicle to provide an alternative path for children born into unfavorable communities in the Caribbean, through football. The mission of the Foundation is to inspire, educate and empower youth through football. Thereby, helping to develop positive thinking, while helping to eradicate social plagues, such as illiteracy, poverty and crime.

We have a calendar of events we host, which we believe will motivate and inspire younger minds of the region. These events include Learning Workshop, Career Seminars, Youth Football Tournaments, Pro Football Clinics, and the College Player Showcase. One of our most recognized events is the Free Kick Foundation College Player Showcase (CPS). At this event, we have pre-screened student athletes showcasing their football ability for US College Coaches in the hope of securing football scholarships. The CPS was launched four years old and has been held in Saint Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda as well as hosting student-athletes from St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago. The CPS has produced over seventy-five (75) scholarships to various universities and colleges in the United States.

The Free Kick Foundation has enlisted the support of corporate sponsors in the US and Saint Lucia to ensure the success of this initiative. Several local agencies and business have also been brought on board. Partners, sponsors and stakeholders include:

Title Sponsor – Key Coin Assets
Platinum Sponsor – Adidas
Platinum Sponsor – Cabot Cares
Event Partner – Events Company of Saint Lucia Inc.
Gold Sponsor – FLOW
Gold Sponsor- Saint Lucia Electricity Services Ltd. (LUCELEC)
Gold Sponsor – Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA)
Silver Sponsors – Royalton Saint Lucia, Bay Garden Resorts
Bronze Sponsors – Bank of Saint Lucia, JQ Charles, Full Circle Animation,
Kongqueror, Vybe Radio
Stakeholder partnerships – Saint Lucia Football Association, The Beautiful
Game Project, TOCO and the Government of St. Lucia through the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports