My name is Cherrianne Dangleben York, and I was born and raised on the island of Sint Maarten. My mother and her family are from Sint Maarten, and my father and his family are from Dominica. During the day I am an auditor at Grant Thornton Sint Maarten, completing the audit of various companies within Sint Maarten. When I am not working, I am either playing or coaching football, playing the steelpan at a gig, or simply trying to take a break and relax. I love football as it allows me to just take a break from my responsibilities for a while. It allows me to be creative and also stay fit.
A Musical Dynasty
Sint Maarten is my home. I come from the York family which is a very well-known last name on the island. My family is known for our musical contributions, for being drummers, guitarists, and pianists, but we are most known for being steelpan players. My uncle Chester York started playing the steelpan and this carried on to my other uncles, George and Leopold, and it passed down to their families as well. My mom did not grow up playing steelpan, but I think the music is in my blood on both sides as my paternal grandfather was also a musician.
Neither of my parents played any instruments, but my home was filled with music every weekend – reggae, soca, R&B, and country. I think this shaped my future in music. I started as a drummer and guitarist and I have dabbled with almost every instrument (piano, saxophone, bass guitar, and xylophone) but steelpan and drums are my main instruments. I started to play the steelpan when I was 12 years old. I instantly fell in love with it, and I have stuck with it ever since.
I started with Ebony Steel Orchestra in Sint Maarten, and I was also a member of the Bijlmer Steelband in Amsterdam, Netherlands, when I lived there. I am fortunate to have had many opportunities to play the pan. I have played on cruise ships, with Fred York & Friends, for former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and the opening of Parliament. Currently, I play with Sweet Pan Entertainment and have played various gigs throughout Sint Maarten and even Anguilla. I also do solo gigs.
While the steelpan is not native to Sint Maarten, it has become a very well-known instrument on the island. I also do video covers of popular songs and upload them to my Instagram and YouTube accounts. There have been a few occasions where my videos went viral. In my captions, I always try to include our flag and hashtag Sint Maarten so that people can know where I am from, and it may spark an interest in them to visit.
Everywhere I go I always introduce myself as ‘Cherrianne, born and raised in Sint Maarten’ because I am proud of where I come from. It has shaped me into the person I am by introducing me to many different cultures, norms, and experiences. I will represent my island on every stage that I get on.
Feeling The Connection
I have always been watching and following the national football team, but it was not until I moved back home in 2020 that I really got involved in the football scene in Sint Maarten. I lived abroad in the Netherlands and the United States from 2014 until 2020 for my studies and it was hard for me to follow football as there was no streaming.
For the last Concacaf Nations League competition I watched every game with my little cousin Fermin. The vibes in the house were as if we were actually at the game!
There were many nail-biting moments, especially during the last game. I remember that we had Sint Maarten vs Virgin Islands on the big screen and Bonaire vs Turks and Caicos on the laptop simultaneously, as we needed to win our game and Bonaire to lose their game. That was one of the most exciting game days I have ever had. When we were able to secure the points, we all jumped around in excitement as if we were the ones who were playing the game!
In other countries and on other islands, you see on game days the fans show up with blow horns, clappers, and even drums to represent their national team. In Sint Maarten, this is not a part of our football culture, at least not yet. As the sport continues to grow and we are able to physically attend games, especially at home, I think that music, art, and other forms will become a part of us showing our passion and support to the national team.
Most of their practice games are in the Netherlands, so I cannot attend, but I always encourage my friends who are there to attend and support the team. I usually say a short prayer for the guys for them to play their best and come out injury-free.
Inspiring Others
With my photos, I tried to capture the Concacaf Gold Cup Prelim, which was storm-filled. I also tried to capture my daily football life as a player and the opportunity of traveling to my neighboring island Anguilla to participate in their league. I also tried to capture a little of life on Sint Maarten outside of football.
Included are some of the national team players, our General Secretary, operational staff, and some of my team members, all of whom are dear to me. However, I think the one individual that means the most is my ‘mini me’, my cousin, Fermin. Ironically the day I took the photos we were matching (unplanned) with our Ajax jerseys.
This relationship is dear to me as I have someone looking up to me. There is pressure not to mess up. I am directly involved with growing his skills, knowledge, and love for the game. At one point, every day as I got home from work he was waiting for me with one of our balls, and we would do exercises or simply just pass back and forth while we talked about our day. Being active in football, coaching, and playing, allows me to continuously pour my knowledge into him, and I know without a doubt that in 3-4 years, he will be a part of a Sint Maarten Gold Cup story that someone else might be capturing.
Overcoming The Obstacles
My football journey has been a series of highs and lows, ups and downs, but my love for the game never changed. I began playing football at the age of 15, which is considered late in the football community. However, from my first training, I excelled and continued to excel ever since. I started as a striker due to my speed and ability to easily get past defensive lines, but I switched to midfield and have been there ever since. Overall, I can be considered a utility player, as I can fill in any position, but midfield has my heart.
The greatest challenges I have had to face were my two ACL injuries. The first (left ACL) was in July 2016 with surgery in November 2016, and the second (right ACL) was more recent in October 2021 with surgery in February 2022. These times were hard as I had to step away from the game I love for more than 12 months at a time. The first time around I was pretty young and just eager to return to the field, but the second time I took my time, although I was still very eager to return.
Growing The Sport
I took the time to obtain my Concacaf D license as a coach and learn about incorporating injury prevention exercises and ways of contributing to football even if I was on the sidelines (although it killed me being on the sidelines). This allowed me to grow as a coach. I was able to travel with our U-20 women’s team for their first-ever appearance in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship as Team Manager and Assistant Coach in April 2023.
Finally, I am back on the field and currently playing 11-a-side in the Anguilla Football Women’s League with my team East Enders and recently finished second in Sint Maarten’s Women’s 5v5 league with my team Eagles.
The opportunities for women and girls to play and coach in Sint Maarten are growing. We have an upcoming UEFA Assist Technical Development workshop focusing on increasing the number of women involved in football (recruiting, playing, coaching, technical development). April 2023 marked the close of the first annual women's 5v5 league competition and they are actively trying to increase numbers to eventually be able to hold a 11v11 women’s league at all levels. I think that these areas are growing and heading in the right direction.
For me, football is important because it gives me a space to be free.
When I step on the field, I am able to just focus on the game or training and tune out everything else for a while. In our communities, football is growing as a whole and also gives our youth and senior players an activity they can look forward to.
The Future Is Bright
I think every football player dreams of going pro. For me that dream was not so attainable, being from a smaller Caribbean island where opportunities do not come. This is slowly changing with the collaboration of US colleges. I just want to enjoy the game for as long as I can.
Currently, I have the opportunity of playing in the Anguilla women’s football league with my team East Enders, and in the upcoming months for the first time, I will be able to represent my country, Sint Maarten, in internationally recognized games via the Concacaf W Gold Cup competition. Hopefully, these are things that I can continue for the next couple of years before I hang up my competitive boots.
As a coach I want to continue my education, and over time, become the Head Coach of our U-20 women’s team and eventually our senior women’s team.
In general, I am dedicated to the growth of football for Sint Maarten locally and internationally, so just being involved and assisting where I can is definitely the future for me.
The future of football, from grassroots to national senior level, both men’s and women’s, is definitely bright. With our current path, I expect to see growth within the game and more love and interest being shown to the different competitions we have locally and participate in abroad.
Quickfire Heritage Questions
What are the words or phrases/sayings that anyone from your country will know?
Ayo Lawd! The meaning really depends on the situation in which it’s being used but I would say the gist of this phrase is similar to saying ‘oh wow!’ being in disbelief of what happened. In relation to football, imagine someone goes in with a reckless tackle; you hold your head and say ‘ Ayo Lawd!’
Lapsin. This is a jargon used to describe temporary failure in carrying out a task. Used in football, think of a through ball being given to your striker/winger but they were not able to capitalize because they were not paying attention; you raise your hands and tell them ‘buh you lapsin man’!
I from here/I from ‘Say Mahtin’. This is simply how we let people know that we are from Sint Maarten or as we pronounce it ‘Say Mahtin’.
What are the most distinctive landmarks in your country?
We are most known for our airport landing. The planes that land at Sint Maarten land over the heads of beachgoers and those seeking the thrill. With take-offs, people stand on the beach behind the plane to experience the jet blasts, from small planes to even big Boeing 747s. Most times when there is a video online with the landing 80% of the comments are people arguing that it is fake, but I assure you it is very much real.
What is your country most famous for?
Our nightlife, diversity, and the fact that we are the smallest country divided between two nations, Dutch and French. We are separated by borders, but the borders are open and free for all to travel to both sides of the island due to our Treaty of Concordia which was signed in 1648 and is still being upheld to date.
What do you consider your most distinctive food dish?
Sint Maarten is known as one of the melting pots of the Caribbean. We have many nationalities and cultures on the island and you can access food from almost anywhere you can think of.
If you could say “these three things symbolize our country and our people”, what would that be?
Resilient, Proud, Diverse.
Although we are very diverse, we are all proud Sint Maarteners, and we are resilient regardless of what gets thrown at us. After Hurricane Irma, the island was a mess. There were some places without electricity/water for up to six months. Me and my family went without for I believe 2-3 months, but everyone pushed and pushed until we regained a sense of normalcy. No matter what is thrown at us we are resilient and overcome the struggles.
