Grand Bahama Soccer Star Receives Prestigious Scholarship
Grand Bahamian born, Phoebe Wilson will be leaving for Darlington Soccer School Academy in Georgia next week to get ready for her upcoming season. Phoebe was offered a scholarship at Darlington School earlier in the year and has been working tirelessly on her game, despite the countless lockdowns, Grand Bahama has endured. Phoebe is not the first GB Chelsea player to attend the prestigious boarding school, as her former team mate Tyra Kirkby also received a merit scholarship and graduated from Darlington in 2019. Tyra played in the soccer academy up until she suffered a serious knee injury in her senior year which required surgery.
Phoebe started playing organized soccer when she was six years old, thanks to Coach Mike Hailwood who spotted her juggling the ball on the beach and recruited her to play in the Grand Bahama Girls’ Developmental Soccer League. He was so impressed with her ball skills, that he insisted that she play up a division, despite the fact that she had never played in an organized soccer match. Her age difference and size, did not deter her from being a player to watch in the 8-9 age division. For those of us who knew her English parents, this does not come as a surprise. . Her mum, the late Lea Wilson, was a professional dancer and fitness buff and Phoebe’s father Mark was a big football (as the English say) and rugby man. The English Premier League games were regular television viewing in their household so Phoebe was better versed on game play then many of the other girls whose family was more likely to have NBA or NFL on the big screen.
Coach Mike Dossantos selected her to play for GB Chelsea in the Grand Bahama Senior Women’s Champion’s League when she was eleven years old and she continued to rise to the challenge as it became a norm to play against older players.
Hurricane Dorian, one of the worst hurricanes in history, crippled the island of Grand Bahama in 2019. That natural disaster buffered the Grand Bahama Soccer Club’s program as the focus for many, was trying to survive in the aftermath of the deadly storm.
For many, the recent pandemic has been blamed for numerous negative events in people’s lives but for fifteen year old Phoebe , it has been a time to get into the best soccer shape of her life and to put her one step closer to reaching her dream of playing soccer at an Academy, definitely at college and who knows maybe one day professionally.
During strict mandatory lockdowns, when residents could not even leave their yard, her father encouraged her to work on her ball skills in their living room. As restrictions gradually lifted, she practiced COVID appropriate training with Coach Symone Stubbs and Coach Rick Morandini at the YMCA with four other players in the afternoons. Phoebe’s strength had always been her ability to strike a ball but during these daily pandemic sessions, her shooting range and accuracy improved immensely. To work on her speed, strength and fitness , which is required to play high level soccer , her sister Libby took her to her crossfit class at 5am in the mornings where the trainers gave her specific soccer related exercises and running routines.
As the COVID cases decreased on the island, Coach Chris Wells, Director of the Grand Bahama Soccer Club’s Boys’ Division invited Phoebe to attend the senior boys’ training to improve her speed of play and to give her an opportunity to play faster and stronger opponents. When asked about Phoebe’s performance at practice, Coach Wells said “It definitely took a while for her to make that adjustment to play in the boys’ game, but after she experienced some success and her confidence increased, it was difficult to take the ball from her and she became more and more lethal in the box. “
Phoebe Wilson was born at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama during Hurricane Wilma. She became the best U 17 soccer player on the island, during a global pandemic and immediately following Hurricane Dorian. Maybe coming into the world on the tail of a hurricane gives her an extra edge on life, but whatever her secret is , she is like the old time postman, she delivers , regardless of the weather.
Her Grand Bahama Family and Club would like to wish her the best of luck and assure her that they will be watching her closely as she takes her game to a new level in the United States.
Coach Ray Simpson presents Phoebe with the the Coach’s Award despite being the youngest player in her division. Mark Wilson is in the background.
Phoebe improving her touch using Coach Donnie’s makeshift rebounding board during lockdown.
Phoebe stopped by the field to see Coach Mike Hailwood on his visit last month.
Phoebe playing in the the Grand Bahama Champions League