WEST PENN CENTER FOR SPORTS & CULTURE formerly known as West Penn Sport and Culture (West Penn) was founded by Messrs. Selwyn Luces and Shurland Hartley in 2013 as they recognized the need to create avenues to involve at-risk youths from the west; i.e. Cocorite, Diego Martin, Carenage and Maraval into positive guided activities to channel their energies and minds away from the spiraling crime and ‘gangster’ culture prevalent at the time.

  The organization, in its attempt ‘to walk the talk’ conceptualized, promoted, and successfully managed the Diego Run For Peace 1 and 2 in 2013 and 2014 with the support of Mr. Gerard Yorke, Mr. Kelvin Nancoo, and Mr. Ruskin Mark and others local role models and assistance from several small contributors whose support was vital in the staging of those two (2) successful events.

  Over fifteen hundred athletes were impacted over the two (2) years of this event. In 2015, the RBC Caribbean Ltd, under the astute leadership of Mr. Daryl White and his team bought into our (West Penn) vision and concept to formalize and initiate joined with West Penn to initiate the RBC West Penn Community Youth Football League, a tournament catering to the inner city communities of the three Diego Martin constituencies; i.e West, Central and North East.

 Again over the following three years, 2015 -2017 more than three thousand youths between the ages of 14 to 19 from the communities of Petit Valley, Carenage, Westmoorings, Patna River Estate, Green Hill Village, Bagatelle and Covigne together with their supporters, siblings, and parents gathered at the Northern Savannah Diego Martin North Secondary grounds, St. Anthony’s grounds, Patna Recreation and other recreational spaces to enjoy the games, participating and developing community spirit and camaraderie.

         As the tournament grew in popularity the League expanded in 2018 and 2019 to include a wider geographic area with teams from Diego Martin and environs as well as far afield as Santa Cruz, teams such as Trendsetter Hawks from East Dry River, Trincity Nationals from Tacarigua, Barataria, and further south to Gasparillo and North Coast in Blanchisseuse. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the anticipated season had to be shelved, however, West Penn being a proactive organization kept abreast of local and national issues in the sporting arena mainly the football landscape where we had a vested interest. In spite of the negative publicity and poor management practices within the sport, both at home and abroad with serious implications for the governing Football Body and the football community, West Penn forged ahead to execute its vision.  The planning process for the 6th Edition of the Diego Martin Community Youth Football League began and after lengthy deliberations, we collectively agreed on the idea of an “ISLAND-WIDE COMMUNITY YOUTH  FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT”.