Walking Football Caribbean Supplied With Honour Caps for Winter Nations Competition
Last month saw G&P provide a plethora of honour caps to commemorate achievements at the Caribbean Walking Football Association.
If you’ve never heard of walking football, then you’re in the right place. Neither had we, until about 6 months ago when we were approached by Walking Football Caribbean.
And what a project it is.
In collaboration with the Jason Roberts Foundation, the association looks to advance the fitness of those who find it more difficult. In a study conducted that looked at the rate of activity in different ages, they found that there was a steep drop off in activity for those aged 40 and above. Whether that’s true difficulty in movement, age, disability or simply just life getting in the way, the foundation and CWF association founded the club to encourage.
“Once folks get active again who knows what they’ll do next.” – CWF Association Website.
What is Walking Football?
The game is designed, not as a win-at-all-costs competition, but as a way to ensure everyone is involved and supported. That includes having medical equipment ready, including a defibrillator, and an first-aider present.
Some of the aspects referees have to think about include:
- NO contact
- Can only have 3 touches
- The ball can’t go over crossbar height
- At least one foot must be on the ground at all times when walking.
Typically, the games consist of six players on each side on an indoor pitch—however, 3G or 4G artificial pitches are equally as good. Similar to most association football or 5-a-side football, the ball cannot go over head height at any point, and you cannot score directly from a free kick.
Whilst it may seem like there are plenty of rules to grapple with, it comes naturally to some of the players, especially football fans, to begin with. But the rules and playing are only half of the motivation. The health benefits of aerobic exercise are insurmountable, and the ability to become part of a community aids mental health and challenges.
Practically, it ticks all the boxes a sport should – except this time, there are fewer barriers.
Outstanding Achievements That Deserve Recognition With Presentation Caps
In 2023, the WFC Association entered a mixed-country team into the Walking Football World Cup. The team were joined by 21 nations from continents all around the globe including Africa, Europe, North America and Australasia.
The Over 50s side won five of their six games, but they were defeated by England in the quarter-finals, a team that ended up winning the competition. WC Caribbean also features an Over 60s side, which completed six games and finished the group stages in fourth.
Whilst the competition was full of competitive walking football, the enjoyment, spirit and friendships created at the tournament were all prime features that could be argued as more important than the sport itself.
But that’s not all.
The Caribbean Walking Football Association also competed in the Winter Nations Competition 2023 and emerged victorious. In only their second-ever outing in a competitive tournament, the club went on to win it! Fielding two teams, WFC’s Over 50s team came out on top at the Winter Nations Cup in Cardiff, Wales.
Competing against teams who have been playing for several years, the victory is a mammoth achievement and a testament to what the club has been able to do with its members in such a short time.
The creative process in designing honour caps for the WF Caribbean Association
We adored the whole process, having only been in contact with the club last year. When we discovered what they do, their mission and how they seek to achieve it, we were humbled to have been selected as the honour cap manufacturer who would help bring a sense of personal achievement steeped in club pride to their Awards Event.
But as with anything, it wasn’t always easy, especially creating the logo. The embossing process became complicated because it was so intricate and involved many fine details. However, producing a sublimated patch for the crest and finishing it off with a gold metallic border allowed the details to be present and emboldened the club logo.
