Interview with Desmond Cooper

Born in Jacksonville, Florida to an Antiguan mother, the twin islands have always had a special place in Desmond’s heart. After playing college football in Charlotte, North Carolina, he joined the National Football League’s (NFL) Jacksonville Jaguars for preseason. He went on to play his first professional season in Denmark, as well as subsequent seasons in Poland and eventually returned to Denmark where he combined being a personal trainer for athletes and running training camps for young athletes. Now living in Antigua full time, The Citizen met up with “Coach Coop” to find out about his exciting plans to set up American football on the island and build a world-class sporting facility to provide a range of sports to the nation’s youths.

Desmond Cooper

How long have you been in Antigua?

I’ve been here since the end of January, learning all the ins and outs of the island. Although I’ve visited many times as my mother is Antiguan and I have family here, I’ve never fully lived here until now. I’ve been learning the culture and how sports are handled as I don’t want to arrive and immediately impose who I am on everyone. It’s important to be a part of the culture first and then slowly and progressively introduce your ideologies and your mindset on people who are willing to accept it.

Why would you like to introduce American football on the island?

The kids in Antigua play soccer and cricket, but they don’t have any other professional sports. Everyone complains about youth being on the streets or at home playing video games, but we have to think about what we are giving them as an outlet. How are we helping them to do better in society? What are we as adults doing to show them the correct way forward? From an early age, I realised that youth would run the world one day and if we want to leave the world a better place then we need to focus on them. Football has taken me all over the world and been such a huge impact in my life, I felt it was time to bring it to another country and give back to the young people.

Football has taken me all over the world and been such a huge impact in my life, I felt it was time to bring it to another country and give back to the young people.

Can you tell us about your plans on the island?

I have a 15 to 20 year-plan. The biggest part of it is to set up a facility with two artificial turf fields, a grass field, an indoor basketball court, an indoor swimming hall, a track and a gym. We will also have a hotel for professional athletes who come to train in addition to a dormitory-style place for youth tournaments. Caribbean people often need visas to go and play tournaments elsewhere, but if they go from island to island, then they don’t need a visa. It makes sense to have a central place where they can come and play without that hassle. It will also give young people an opportunity to leave the island if they wish, then, when they come back one day, they can give back. It’s a trickle-down effect that will help young people. It will also help tourism on the island. American football is a very tough sport so we’re starting with flag football where there is much less risk of injury and so safer for kids. We are starting at both primary and secondary school level to give them a feel of what it’s like to have competition and rivalry. By giving the schools team names and having mascots, they’ll feel like they’re part of something. Their classmates can come to games and cheer them on. We want them to have that full-on American feel of being part of a school. All you need for flag football are flags and footballs and you can use the school field.

We currently have 12 schools signed up, both private and public. We haven’t started yet due to the pandemic, but it has allowed us time to plan everything so we can hit the ground running when it starts. We want an even playing field for all children no matter how much money they have. We’re working with sponsors, meaning that no matter which school a child attends, they don’t have to worry about affording it. We will take care of everything other than the cleats they will be wearing. I also plan to bring in my friends from both the NFL in the US and Europe to come and coach and run camps.

Desmond power training on the beach

Who are the investors for this project?

I am targeting other athletes as well as people with children who are interested in sport. They generally get more involved in the process and I want the investors to feel that they are giving to a growing process; not only for their kids but for generations to come. The investors will also have access to the gym with top-of-the-line professional workouts.

You have plans to bring the 2023 World Games of Flag Football to Antigua. Can you tell us more?

There are plans to bring the 2023 World Games of Flag Football here. Although Antigua probably won’t play in it, it would give us exposure and show that American football is happening on the island. It would also show the kids what they are working towards as they will see others of their own age playing. The NFL is televised here. That is the level everyone wants to achieve, but it seems so far out of reach. I need to find a way to bring in different levels of the sport to show kids that there is a process to getting to the NFL, but one that’s achievable. It all depends on how much they want to put into getting there. We are pushing very hard to get the World Games here but it will ultimately come down to whether we have enough fields and places for them to stay on the island if the Federation chooses Antigua.

Are there any other projects in the pipeline?

I plan to run a camp on Antigua like I did last year in Denmark. Both American and European coaches went over there to train about 60 kids from various countries. I want to do the same thing here in Antigua, and now we’re closer to America, I can bring more of my American athlete friends to help coach them. I am longing to bring people to the island and show them why I love it so much here.

What advice do you give the young athletes you train?

I’ve had to teach a lot of young people to enjoy their youth, have fun with their friends, but to find a balance at the same time if they want to be a top athlete. Kids often have a lot going on with schoolwork and social life, but for the time they are at practice, they have to let everything that is happening in the outside world go. For me bringing football to the island is showing young people another way to work in a team and build up other people. It’s okay that you’re not always in the spotlight – it’s not always about you; sometimes you have to work with others and you will be hidden. But your time hasn’t come yet. Enjoy their fame, yours is coming.