Over 1,000 Players Participate in Inaugural Athene Youth Kickstart Cup

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Sept. 30, 2025 - Over 1,000 young athletes took the field for the first-ever Athene Youth Kickstart Cup Sept. 26-28, where international stars helped make Bermuda's newest youth tournament an unforgettable event.

Leslie "Tiger" Fitzpatrick, former Trinidad & Tobago national team player and current Head of Pro Player Pathway at the New York Red Bulls, delivered opening remarks during Friday's ceremony, led a skills session and spent time meeting players, coaches and families. Bermuda's own professional footballer, Nahki Wells, shared a message welcoming attendees and contributed signed merchandise for players to receive throughout the tournament. Ross Embleton, Head of Talent ID at West Ham United Football Club, also delivered remarks to inspire the players, presented trophies to the winning teams and connected with Bermuda's football community.

The competition was held at the National Sports Centre and was open to boys' and girls' teams in the U7, U9 and U11 divisions.

The tournament kicked off with a team parade and gombey performance, emceed by Patrina O'Connor-Paynter. Families enjoyed food vendors, a photo booth, and a kid-friendly activity zone with bouncy castles.

"We are proud of the success of the first Athene Youth Kickstart Cup, said Natasha Scotland Courcy," CEO and General Counsel of Athene Life Re. "Football has always united people in Bermuda, and it was inspiring to see thousands from across our community come together this past weekend. We are excited for next year!"

Winners were crowned in each division:

• U7 boys: Boulevard Blazers
• U7 girls: Warwick Football Academy
• U9 boys: Dandy Town Hornets
• U9 girls: Warwick Football Academy Napoli
• U11 boys: Junior Kix Stars White
• U11 girls: Warwick Football Academy Manchester

Each first-place and second-place team took home trophies and medals for their performances.

The Athene Youth Kickstart Cup was managed in partnership with Footy Promotions.

For more information about Athene, please visit https://www.athene.com.

About Athene

Athene is the leading retirement services company with over $400 billion of total assets as of June 30, 2025, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit https://www.athene.com.

About Footy Promotions

Footy Promotions is a non-profit organization dedicated to player development through futsal, football and related initiatives. Footy Promotions delivers development programs through training sessions, school partnerships, camps, and events. In addition to on-field development, we support local players by donating equipment and collaborating with community partners to expand opportunities for Bermuda's youth. For more information, please visit https://www.footypromo.com.

Contact:

Tori Clausen Community Communications Manager 712-490-9021 [email protected]