The Lheerin Gibson Interview
We caught up with former U15 Captain Lheerin Gibson to talk with him about his journey in football so far. Here is how it went.
Please introduce yourself and tell us what you're doing now.
"My name is Lheerin Gibson, and I am 15 years old. I play centre attacking midfield and centre defensive midfield. I am currently at High Mowing School and am connected with the football club Black Rock FC. Right now, I spend my time training with myself, my club, recovering my body, going to the gym and trying to stay on top of my academics and spending loads of family time when I am off from school."
What’s your favourite memory or proudest moment from your time at Skillz before the Dreams Cup?
"My most favorite moment at Skillz before the Dreams Cup was probably the Thanksgiving Cup when in our last game I scored a hatrick and I got a free pair of boots from the coach because he had made a deal with the team, anyone that scores a hatrick he would buy any pair of new boots and in the game against West Coral I scored 3 goals and got a free pair of boots."
What was your first reaction when you found out Skillz was going to compete in the Inter Miami Dreams Cup in May 2025?
"My first reaction when I heard that Skillz was entering the Dreams Cup, I was buzzing. I couldn’t believe that we had been invited to play on the same grounds that professionals practice on. I was also so excited and filled with so much pride to play for such a team like Skillz."
What was the biggest difference you noticed playing against teams outside The Bahamas?
"The biggest difference I would say that I have seen from playing in America compared to playing is the attitude of the players and the speed of play."
When the final whistle blew, and you realized you were champions, what did that moment feel like?
"As the final whistle blew, I knew I had won the tournament when everyone came screaming, shouting and rushing towards me, jumping and celebrating when I took the last penalty. I always wish I could go back to that moment. It was crazy, I wanted to scream and shout in happiness, but I was swarmed by teammates slapping in joy and jumping on me. It was definitely such a surreal moment."
What did winning the Dreams Cup mean to your team, to Skillz, and to Bahamian football?
"Winning the Dreams Cup meant a lot to my team because we came all the way from the Bahamas to win, and we were hungry to be named the champions of that tournament, and also we were due for a win and had owed our coaches some goals. It showed Bahamian football was evolving and was no longer left in the past, and we are advancing with the future of football."
What advice would you give younger Skillz players who want to reach your level and what are your football goals moving forward?
"If I were to give football advice to younger Skillz players who are aspiring to reach the level I play at I would say the battle is you vs you, when you start comparing yourself to others is when you start going down and also always listen to your coaches they know best always you might think you know more but you don’t so always listen and lastly always put in the extra work even when you feel like you don’t want to."
When did you first join Skillz Soccer Bahamas, and what made you want to be part of the program?
"I first joined Skillz when I was 13 years old in 2023 but at first I didn’t want to join and in the first week of coming to training I thought I was better than everyone the coaches the players I thought why am I here because I wanted to stay at my old team but then coach happy came up to me and showed me the level he wanted me to be at he told me to sit out of the drill and watch his movement and from that one moment it showed the kind of personality he had a caring and compassionate one he wanted the best for not only me but all of his players and he was a very factor in someone that changed my attitude each and everyday at Skillz and from that moment on I just wanted to keep coming back to keep on getting better and improving everyday."
What did it mean to you personally to be named U15 Captain?
"Personally to me when I first got the captains arm band I knew I had to be a leader not only on the pitch during the games but also off the pitch, I knew I had to have a presence on the feild, and it was not only just a band, it was something on my arm that represented my family, my team and where we came from."
How would you describe your leadership style, and what do you focus on most as a captain?
"I would describe my leadership style as very demanding and trustworthy, and as a captain, I focus the most on winning and at the end of that last whistle, the whole team is celebrating and shouting."
What was the toughest match of the tournament, and why was it so challenging?
"I think the toughest match of the tournament was in our 3 game because it was one of the deciding factors of who went through to the final. It was also very tough because they went up early in a 1-0 lead, starting the game off big."
Was there a key moment where you felt: “We can win this whole thing”? What happened?
"As the final was approaching, I felt excited and nervous. I remember the most about how badly I wanted to win and score. But as a captain, I kept thinking in my head how I wanted/was going to lead my team to become the winners of the Dream Cup."
How did Skillz help prepare you for that tournament? What training habits, mentality, or lessons stood out?
"Skillz helped me prepare for that tournament in so many ways that made out eating habits were right they made sure we were being serious in practice the made sure we were showing up each and everyday and they help develop our bodies with constant fitness testing and building our bodies to become stronger, more agile, faster and fitter so we can play the best we can."
What’s one on-the-field memory from the trip that you’ll never forget?
"One of the field memories that I will have was during the first game we played against the Cyclones, and my teammate Charlie had thrown the ball to me. I had touched it, beat my defender, and banged it in the top right corner, impossible for the goalkeeper to save."
The Lheerin Gibson Interview
We caught up with former U15 Captain Lheerin Gibson to talk with him about his journey in football so far. Here is how it went.
Please introduce yourself and tell us what you're doing now.
"My name is Lheerin Gibson, and I am 15 years old. I play centre attacking midfield and centre defensive midfield. I am currently at High Mowing School and am connected with the football club Black Rock FC. Right now, I spend my time training with myself, my club, recovering my body, going to the gym and trying to stay on top of my academics and spending loads of family time when I am off from school."
When did you first join Skillz Soccer Bahamas, and what made you want to be part of the program?
"I first joined Skillz when I was 13 years old in 2023 but at first I didn’t want to join and in the first week of coming to training I thought I was better than everyone the coaches the players I thought why am I here because I wanted to stay at my old team but then coach happy came up to me and showed me the level he wanted me to be at he told me to sit out of the drill and watch his movement and from that one moment it showed the kind of personality he had a caring and compassionate one he wanted the best for not only me but all of his players and he was a very factor in someone that changed my attitude each and everyday at Skillz and from that moment on I just wanted to keep coming back to keep on getting better and improving everyday."
What’s your favourite memory or proudest moment from your time at Skillz before the Dreams Cup?
"My most favorite moment at Skillz before the Dreams Cup was probably the Thanksgiving Cup when in our last game I scored a hatrick and I got a free pair of boots from the coach because he had made a deal with the team, anyone that scores a hatrick he would buy any pair of new boots and in the game against West Coral I scored 3 goals and got a free pair of boots."
What did it mean to you personally to be named U15 Captain?
"Personally to me when I first got the captains arm band I knew I had to be a leader not only on the pitch during the games but also off the pitch, I knew I had to have a presence on the feild, and it was not only just a band, it was something on my arm that represented my family, my team and where we came from."
How would you describe your leadership style, and what do you focus on most as a captain?
"I would describe my leadership style as very demanding and trustworthy, and as a captain, I focus the most on winning and at the end of that last whistle, the whole team is celebrating and shouting."
What was your first reaction when you found out Skillz was going to compete in the Inter Miami Dreams Cup in May 2025?
"My first reaction when I heard that Skillz was entering the Dreams Cup, I was buzzing. I couldn’t believe that we had been invited to play on the same grounds that professionals practice on. I was also so excited and filled with so much pride to play for such a team like Skillz."
What was the biggest difference you noticed playing against teams outside The Bahamas?
"The biggest difference I would say that I have seen from playing in America compared to playing is the attitude of the players and the speed of play."
What was the toughest match of the tournament, and why was it so challenging?
"I think the toughest match of the tournament was in our 3 game because it was one of the deciding factors of who went through to the final. It was also very tough because they went up early in a 1-0 lead, starting the game off big."
Was there a key moment where you felt: “We can win this whole thing”? What happened?
"As the final was approaching, I felt excited and nervous. I remember the most about how badly I wanted to win and score. But as a captain, I kept thinking in my head how I wanted/was going to lead my team to become the winners of the Dream Cup."
When the final whistle blew, and you realized you were champions, what did that moment feel like?
"As the final whistle blew, I knew I had won the tournament when everyone came screaming, shouting and rushing towards me, jumping and celebrating when I took the last penalty. I always wish I could go back to that moment. It was crazy, I wanted to scream and shout in happiness, but I was swarmed by teammates slapping in joy and jumping on me. It was definitely such a surreal moment."
What did winning the Dreams Cup mean to your team, to Skillz, and to Bahamian football?
"Winning the Dreams Cup meant a lot to my team because we came all the way from the Bahamas to win, and we were hungry to be named the champions of that tournament, and also we were due for a win and had owed our coaches some goals. It showed Bahamian football was evolving and was no longer left in the past, and we are advancing with the future of football."
How did Skillz help prepare you for that tournament? What training habits, mentality, or lessons stood out?
"Skillz helped me prepare for that tournament in so many ways that made out eating habits were right they made sure we were being serious in practice the made sure we were showing up each and everyday and they help develop our bodies with constant fitness testing and building our bodies to become stronger, more agile, faster and fitter so we can play the best we can."
What’s one on-the-field memory from the trip that you’ll never forget?
"One of the field memories that I will have was during the first game we played against the Cyclones, and my teammate Charlie had thrown the ball to me. I had touched it, beat my defender, and banged it in the top right corner, impossible for the goalkeeper to save."
What advice would you give younger Skillz players who want to reach your level and what are your football goals moving forward?
"If I were to give football advice to younger Skillz players who are aspiring to reach the level I play at I would say the battle is you vs you, when you start comparing yourself to others is when you start going down and also always listen to your coaches they know best always you might think you know more but you don’t so always listen and lastly always put in the extra work even when you feel like you don’t want to."
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