Dominica’s long-running grassroots football program, the Wayne George Football Academy, has received critical financial support from local fuel brand Team RUBIS to upgrade its athlete resources ahead of the organization’s upcoming competitive fixtures. In a recent official press statement, the academy announced the EC$5,000 donation, which will be allocated exclusively to purchasing new team uniforms and modern football training and match equipment for its young roster of players.
The contribution from Team RUBIS is designed not just to outfit athletes for upcoming matches, but also to sustain the academy’s 15-plus-year mission of nurturing youth football talent across the island nation. Vanalda Henry-Vidal, Accounts Executive at RUBIS, noted that the company was proud to formalize this partnership with the community-focused academy.
“Sports play a fundamental role in shaping the next generation of leaders, instilling core values like collaborative teamwork, personal discipline, and persistent resilience,” Henry-Vidal said in a statement shared alongside the announcement. “We are honored to contribute to an initiative that directly improves young lives and makes our local community stronger.”
Wayne George, founder and head coach of the academy, expressed sincere gratitude for Team RUBIS’ investment in the program and its young athletes. He emphasized that corporate partnerships like this are instrumental to the academy’s work of growing football talent and molding well-rounded, responsible citizens out of program participants. “A huge thank you to RUBIS for partnering with us to nurture young football talent and help us build future leaders and community members. We deeply appreciate this support and look forward to continuing our collaboration moving forward,” George said.
Founded all the way back in 2008, the Wayne George Football Academy is a legally registered, community-led football development program that has served young Dominicans for over 15 years. Headquartered in Bath Estate, the academy welcomes both boys and girls starting at age five, and currently supports more than 100 active young players across age groups. It has grown into a cornerstone of grassroots football development in Dominica, holding weekly training sessions every Saturday, organizing regular friendly matches against other local teams, and fielding senior squads that compete in official local leagues run by the Dominica Football Association.
Over its decades of operation, the academy has helped develop dozens of promising young footballers, while embedding values of leadership, teamwork and discipline in all participants. The new funding from Team RUBIS will remove longstanding resource barriers, providing the gear and uniforms that players need to thrive both on the pitch and in their personal growth off the field, positioning the program to expand its positive impact across Dominica’s youth sports community.