Ricshon Anthony, 16 from Barbados is all set to take up a two-year scholarship at the Phelps School in Malvern, Philadelphia after the new school term begins in September, 2024.
In the scholarship, he would continue studies in Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Biology and Spanish and he is also looking forward to joining the school’s football team.
The former Roland Edwards School student, Ricshon was involved in sports from primary school and he represented the school at NAPSAC, cricket, road tennis and football.
His dad Richard Anthony, a former footballer, was behind his journey in football when he started playing with West Coast Academy football club and in the primary school league.
Now a member of White Hall Football Club, Ricshon played football in the secondary school league and this year he assisted his school team to second place in the under-19 school League tournament.
He had his first call to the national under-14 team in 2022 and that year he toured with the national team to compete in the under-14 Concacaf tournament in the Dominican Republic. Since then, he advanced to the national under-17 team where he is currently a goal keeper, the area of the sport, he most enjoys.
In addition to national games, he played with Whitehall’s senior team this year in Division One and was a goal keeper for them.
He is focused and disciplined and he trains five days a week, plays matches on Saturdays and attend national training on Sundays, while keeping up with his academic studies which he never allowed to pile up. It was therefore not surprising that Ricshon gained passes in five CSEC subjects in the CXC examinations this year.
It was probably difficult to miss Ricshon’s exceptional talent in football and it was that which was seen by international scouts who facilitated the scholarship for which he is most grateful and excited about.
While looking forward to the new experiences awaiting him in Philadelphia, Ricshon sees adjusting would be his biggest challenge.
“My biggest challenge would be adjusting to the new life awaiting me, meeting and working with new people and the opportunities in football,” he said.
Ricshon is also fully supported by his mother Kerrie Anthony who has stood by him throughout his football journey and he says that she has been his back bone. He leaves the island at the end of this week and will be accompanied by his dad who would assist him in settling in at his new school.
