Some time ago, Ranger asked.....

PERPETUAL RENEWAL

It would be well to keep in mind that PERPETUAL RENEWAL is an end point. The journey towards that ‘end point’ was started immediately, either knowingly or as a natural progression, from the very first day the game was introduced in our island. We are mere participants "moving along".

As far as I am concerned the recent start of dialogue between the JFF's hierarchy and the Secondary Schools towards improving standards of coaching in the schools is the most significant step taken in local football. Other areas of co-operation between the JFF's administrators, technical committees and the affiliates will follow. All that is being advocated, now, is the JFF's bosses ensure the development of the game from the 'bottom up' in all areas (technical, sports medicine, administrative, etc) through all levels (Basic School, Prep., Primary, Secondary, Colleges, Minor League, Business House, Civil Service, Parish League, Confederations, JFF's own League Clubs and National Teams)...a seamless integrated approach. Let us break it down and make it 'personal'...

Let us pick any institution/club, football entity, say Ardenne High School's football programme...the information the JFF has in terms of "Library of training" materials, managing a programme etc., technical personel or access to technical and other personel would be made available to Ardenne through JFF’s interaction with High Schools (perhaps arriving out of dialogue with ISSA)...e.g. arranged training courses for coaches, sports medicine personel (Ardenne would have an alliance with their own Medical personel), groundsmen, equipment managers, etc., etc...in all areas i.e. Ardenne operates its football programme (a continous development programme) as a club would. The younger players arriving through the students in the lower forms e.g. the Under - 12, Under - 15, etc., etc. If we insert the name of any Basic School, Prep., Primary, High, College, Club, Parish, Confederation, Affiliate instead of Ardenne...the aim remains the same.

The affiliate(s) being, in fact, a replica of the national programme(s). In a nut shell that is all PERPETRUAL RENEWAL is about. The putting together of a seamless integrated programme that takes in all...covering the island from Negril Point to Morant Point...covering Success in the hills of Hanover to.....wherever...an all embracing programme that leaves no area of the island uncovered. Unearthing all talent(s) - not only players, but administrators, coaches, referees, groundsmen, equipment managers, marketeers, auditors, medical doctors, etc...welding together people from all walks of Jamaican life. You name the area that impacts on the game and insert that discipline - with the resultant raising to the top of "the best of the best."

Let me post the general idea....

Introduction.

PERPETUAL?
a) Continuing forever : EVERLASTING
b) Valid for all time
c) Occurring continually : indefinitely long-continued
d) Blooming continuously throughout (time) the season.
RENEWAL?
a) The act or process of renewal : REPETITION
b) The quality or state of being renewed
c) The rebuilding of a large area (great ideal) by a public authority.

Perpetual Renewal as it relates to our Football is that aspect of “everlasting repetitive renewal” that results in a progressively stronger, more efficient “football life form”. Look, once again, at the definitions of “perpetual” and “renewal”. Think of the evolution of man. Imagine where we (mankind) will be in the year… 2050? 3050? What will we be? Look back at Jamaica’s early beginnings at the game of football. 1800s? York Castle? York Castle High School? Move rapidly forward…fast forward, if you will to the 1980s. There is the advent of community football as introduced by the Kingston and Saint Andrew Football Association. There were dire predictions, then, that community football would be the end of the game. It is now recognized that community football galvanized a rise in standards in every area of the game. The shear numbers of community clubs gave rise to ‘more’ in every area. Greater numbers of playing participants, administrators, coaches/trainers/TD (call them what you will), Sports medicine practitioners and persons in other disciplines all flocked to football. Football became a Saturday afternoon social event. The fanz (RBSC spelling) came out in droves. The increased passion for the game demanded a more efficient, better organized JFF. Think of the early efforts made by the Jamaica Football Association, as the National Football body was then known, to get us to the ‘big dance’. Comparing those early efforts to today's investment towards getting the RBoyz to the 'big dance' could be considered "pitifull". Such a characterization, however, would have lost sight of "the journey". The resources, invested into “The Road to France ‘98” campaign, were on a scale never before seen. The entire country was solidly, passionately behind our efforts. It became a national cause. Yet, that France '98 effort must of itself be consigned to history...and future efforts must make that expenditure..."pitifull".

Where did all this energy geared to develop a Football Industry have its genesis? Have you overlooked the role of teachers and the school system. It is my contention that the school system is where it all began. All that has been achieved was spawned at the lower levels…in the schools. Jamaica ignores that base to her own peril.

All the strong football powers have had in place systems that developed the young talent. Systems out of which, succeeding generations of new players arrived. It must be pointed out that each succeeding generation produced players more skilled than the proceeding generation. The JFF would be well advised to view our progress in the light of our players getting their first exposure at formal football training and competitive football experience through ‘teachings’, at school. All those persons contributing, in various areas of football, at various levels, to varying degrees, were influenced to contribute in large measure because of a passion for the game developed by ‘happenings’ at school. Can anyone argue with the fact that, that part of our football system, that school system bedrock, is that which has sustained the lifeline of “Perpetual Renewal”? Can anyone really argue that there was no system in place? That the continually producing of players that were more skilled than the generation before was a ‘buck up’? I say the system is in place. The million-dollar question is – “Will we make it stronger and more efficient?” If the answer is “YES!” then, the logical follow-up question is “How?”

Before attempting to answer that question, let us acknowledge the part being played by our current football leaders whose appetite for the game was nourished in, you guessed it, the schools by those unsung heros, the teachers. Let us call a few names – Horace Burrell, President of the JFF (Holmwood), Frank “Bim” Williams 1st Vice President of the JFF (StGC), Russell Bell former General Secretary of the JFF (StGC), Horace Lewis former President of the JFRA (Jamaica Football Referees’ Association), JFF Commissary, (Mico Teachers’ College), Clayton Solomon, Chairman, JFF Referees’ Committee (Cornwall College), Dave Clarke TD/Coach Tivoli Gardens High School/former Coach/TD Tivoli Gardens NPL Team, (Tivoli Gdns High School), Allie McNabb former National Coach (Cornwall College), Emerson Henry, Member of Staff/Coach Rusea’s High School/former member of the National Coaching Staff (Rusea’s High School), the Officers of both arms of the RBSC and we could go on ad infinitum. Think of it, at every level and in every area of our football, the participants got that ‘love for the game’ at school. Throughout the entire system all our participants were developed…in Jamaican parlance – got their ‘groundings’ in the school system. Let us do honour by acknowledging the contributions by those named above and the many more, too numerous to be individually singled out, who were not named. Without your contributions the Reggae Boyz would not have been born! Why then, is there this reluctance to ‘deal with’ the base, that is the schools? Why is there this reluctance on the part of the football bosses to invest the time, energy and resources necessary to aid the developmental process at the school level? Why the reticence to put in place a seamless, from the ‘bottom to top’ efficient, PERPETUAL RENEWAL? Let us honour the contributions of the teachers by including then in our National effort at PERPETUAL RENEWAL.

Some may argue why this special emphasis on the role of the teachers and schools, but a country with our limited resources must maximize that which it owns. The teachers and schools, from the basic pre-kindergarten school in Miss Jane’s home to the G. C. Foster School of Sports and Physical Education, is of themselves the areas of greatest investment in personnel and physical plants that the government and people of Jamaica have made in sports. So it is for football. No one would advocate an intrusion of the JFF on policy directions in these institutions of learning. However, the JFF and its affiliates, through proactive action could encourage alliances with these institutions. The JFF can work with these institutions as partners. "Basic School” level the JFF could sponsor workshops during summer vacation at Teachers’ Colleges and the G.C. Foster College for Sports and Physical Education for the teachers to update skills in the area of the ‘basics’ – e.g. ways to kick a ball. It matters not what the area is ...administration, marketing, sports medicine, technical aspects of the game....alliances can be and must be formed.

It is all about where we want to be in WORLD FOOTBALL? The top? Having answered that question with a resounding “YES!”, then the next question is – “How do we get there?”

...and I now add: "Invest in the schools and the support personel...e.g. upgrading of the skill/formal knowledge level of these volunteers - administrators, junior coaches/TDs, sports medicine and training/conditioning 'experts', equipment managers, groundsmen etc.

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