Bringing An Island Together
Dimitri Beauperthuy, Sint Maarten
Dimitri Beauperthuy is is a teacher and coach from Sint Maarten, one of the four countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It occupies the southern half of the island of Saint Martin in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean; the northern half forms the French territory of Saint Martin.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life?
My name is Dimitri Beauperthuy. I teach health and physical education at Learning Unlimited Preparatory school here on the island of St. Maarten. In addition to teaching I’m also the athletic director of the school. Over the last 9 years I’ve been at the school, I’ve had the privilege of coaching all of the school’s football teams. I’ve coached our U7, U9, U11, U13 and our high school boys’ and girls’ teams at some point. My introduction to the sport of football came back when I was in elementary school. I first started playing football in 3rd grade, I played from 3rd grade right through to 6th grade. After 6th grade I stopped playing organized football. I only played in friendly scrimmages up until 2018, when I joined the Oualichi football club.
As for my introduction to coaching football. I started coaching back in 2006, while in college. I went to college in Tallahassee, Florida. I first attended TCC (Tallahassee Community College) and received my Associate degree in recreation. I then transferred to FAMU (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University) where I got my bachelor’s degree in physical education. I coached for two years at the Tallahassee YMCA.
Who is in the photos? Where were the photos taken?
In the photos are the Learning Unlimited Preparatory school boys and girls high school football teams and the Oulichi men’s football club. The photos were taken at the Raoul Illidge sports complex.
My school Learning Unlimited is a bit unique, because we are an American international school. We are the only school on the island to have an elementary, middle school, and high school. Because of our unique situation we have had middle school students play on the high school team. When making such a decision to add a middle school student to the high school roster, that student must be physically strong enough, in addition to being an exceptional talent. Last year we had a 6th grader starting on the girls’ high school team. She played a pivotal role in getting us to the finals.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
My intention with the photos was to give a bit of insight into my football life. From coaching elementary school through high school to being a player on my senior club. Football means unity and opportunity to me.
What is your favorite photo?
It’s a photo of Maxmo Lanari, our graduated senior goalie of the Learning Unlimited high school team. Despite being 5”5, in my opinion he was the best goalie throughout the high school tournament. He was the backbone of our team, keeping us in games with big stop after big stop. Figuratively speaking he won 9 out of 10 one-on-one situations against opposing team strikers. We were not able to get any in-game film or pictures of Maximo at work. Even though it is him at practice it’s nice to have a shot of him in action.
Why is football so important for Sint Maarten and its people?
Football is important to St. Maarten for a number of reasons. Football is one of the few sports on the island that is played from the elementary level right up to the senior club level. The elementary school tournaments have been going on for almost 30 years. Over the years the sport of football has given thousands of little boys and girls a safe environment to play while fostering friendships, sportsmanship, and good values. Football also provides the young men and women of our island the opportunity to further their studies through scholarships. The numbers are growing. Many go to America, and a lot of our students move to The Netherlands to further their studies. While in The Netherlands they continue their passion of playing football.
What role does football play in Sint Maarten society?
I personally believe football plays a number of roles in St. Maarten society, but one in particular is bringing our island together. From the St. Maarten born to those that were born to be in St. Maarten. Whether it be a practice, a friendly scrimmage or an official game. On any given day on a football field on this little 37 square mile island, you can find people from all corners of the globe coming together to play football.
What are the opportunities for female footballers in Sint Maarten?
I honestly believe more should be done for female football on the island. A couple of years back the St. Maarten Soccer Association started an initiative to encourage the elementary schools to have a girls’ teams registered along with their boys’ teams. Although their efforts were not as successful as we would have liked, I believe it was necessary.
Today a number of the high schools register both a boys and girls team for the school tournament. The Oualichi Soccer Association initiated and organized the first ever female only high school competition in 2014. A student organizing committee was also established, to empower the girls to not only play, but also lead in their sport. From this competition the boys high schools competition followed (2015), also led by the Oualichi women’s club.
It leads me to believe a similar initiative should be implemented for senior clubs. If I’m not mistaken there are only two female senior clubs. This number has to increase in order for the female game to prosper. I would personally like to see more effort being put into getting more females onto the football field. One of the reasons I’m proud to be a member of the Oualichi football club is that our male club was actually born out of a female club.
What is the future for Sint Maarten football?
I believe the future of St. Maarten football is bright. Being active in the school football scene, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the up and coming talent. As more and more of our football players get the opportunity to display their talents abroad, I think it’s only a matter of time before we have St. Maarteners playing in the top leagues around the world.
