A way forward
- Ryan French
- Oct 3
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
From 2015-16, I had the pleasure of working for Right to Dream Academy in Ghana. Since, Right to Dream has established itself as one of the world’s most successful academies and done so while simultaneously supporting its graduates to secure tens of millions in college scholarships and even more in professional contracts. Its holistic approach to player development has been a refreshing, responsible leader in a space that too frequently focuses on performance and not potential.
My experience with Right to Dream led me to believe that this same model, while not 100% copy-pasted from its West Africa roots, could work in Haiti, a nation immensely talented and close to the world’s largest source of academic and athletic scholarship, the U.S.
Haiti's outstanding talent
Haiti qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup for the first time. In a very difficult group that included England, Denmark, and China, it tightly competed in each match, holding tournament finalist England to 0-1, while conceding the match's only goal on a penalty in the first half and playing most of the match with one less player. It was an impressive debut. Its players did not grow up playing in professional academies, and many did not have full-time professional coaching as youth players. Yet, Haiti’s roster contained many professional players, some of whom were based in the U.S. and Europe, and one of whom ranked in the top 20 contenders for the Ballon d’Or (Melchie Dumornay, 18th), the de facto world’s best player, and awarded by France Football, a French Football magazine and media outlet.
Haiti’s men's national team last qualified in 1974, when there were far fewer teams (16), a third of next year’s World Cup teams (48) hosted in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In 1974, Haiti did the incredible. Against all odds, Haiti scored (Emmanuel Sanon ’46) against Italy and their dominant defense. Until that goal, Dino Zoff, Italy’s famous goalkeeper, had not conceded a goal for a record-setting 1,142-minutes. It was a stunning achievement. Haiti has not qualified since, although 2026 is perhaps the greatest opportunity since then, the potential has yet to be realized. Haiti’s potential is great. Against all odds, Haiti’s talent has proven to find its way.
After our initial visit in June 2025, our strategy includes partnering with an academic institution, a sports facility, and a teacher training organization to pilot an initial version of our Academy program. Once partnerships are established, we will agree on a timeline to recruit players ages 9-10, passing them through academic and sporting challenges. Leveraging a teaching partner, we plan to identify and train talented teachers to deliver a bilingual curriculum (Haitian Kreyol and English) with the objective of achieving grade-level standards equivalent to global leaders in education. We will simultaneously train coaches and support their development as safe, positive leaders.
Our approach
We will not charge a fee for our academy, school, or for a tryout. Access is important. Yet, we will be selective, bringing in a selected class that we expect to commit to for an initial pilot program of two years, and then again for the duration of their education until they attend a University. The program will be for boys and girls, with the two teams growing side-by-side. Starting with a class so young allows us time to prepare them for future academic and sporting pathways as we grow alongside them.
Although an ambitious vision, we see others who have started with similar, lofty intentions in talented yet challenging locations, and have succeeded with the support of friends, family, foundations, and corporations. We know it can be done and will work to find a way to make it happen, despite any odds against us.
If you are interested in connecting with us, please contact us info@louvertureacademy.org. We would love to understand your interest, needs, and how we could potentially make an impact together.
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