ISSA should get some blame for this!!

[Lionpaw]

IMO, the ISSA should shoulder some of the blame for our football being in shambles. Eversince them institute this new 4 cxc bullsh*t, all the players with raw talent, who are not very academically capable have disappeared.

Just imagine, if they had this crap when Boyd was at Excelsior we would've never known about him. I hear he was probably the duncest yute in HS but when he touched the field it was a different thing. The same could be said for Courtney Walsh.

I know of no person who is brilliant and extremely talented in football. Everyone knows that nerds are not good at sports. Look at Campion for example. They have been the perennial beating sticks in Manning Cup while being dubbed "the smartest HS in Jamaica".

The quality of the Manning Cup has been deteriorating rapidly eversince this 4 cxc sh*t. When I was a little juvenile, I knew all the names of the good Manning Cup players and the schools they represented. Mi a big man now and this season I cant spot a player that looks headed for big things in football. Many of the youngsters with raw talent, and little smarts have given up on football and have turned to other means of getting by in life(eg crime) because of the ISSA and their foolishness.

That's all mi haffi say bout this now.

Jamaica getting beat by SVG, sad sad sad sad.

[Mosiah]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

Hahaha! I would rather see some academic standards than produce 50 Walter Boyds every year.

[Warrior]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

You are not alone in these kind of profound discussions. Go right now to www.socawarriors.net, click on The Forum, click on the headlining first post called "The Metamorphic Warrior", written by Hannibal Najjar (former national coach) and posted by Flex and read. We are all grappling with the issues of sport and education andhow to produce from the youth factories

[Mosiah]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

Lionpaw (10/1/2006)



I know of no person who is brilliant and extremely talented in football. Everyone knows that nerds are not good at sports. Look at Campion for example. They have been the perennial beating sticks in Manning Cup while being dubbed "the smartest HS in Jamaica".



(

And who is asking for "brilliance"? 4 CXC's is brilliant? If you ask me, part of our problem is because we have not insisted on some minimum standards. Fools can only go so far and no further. And where is your beloved Walter Boyd today? If he had applied some grey matter to his schoolwork, he might be playing in the EPL right now. Instead, he is where? Making what kinda money?



So tell me, back in the day before ISSA insisted on 4 CXC's, what did our teams do back then?



Please! Maybe we should recruit only from Campion and Munro. Let's give that a try. We have tried with those who couldn't read and failed miserably. Let's see what some Rhodes scholars can do now!

[Plush]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

I agree with you to an extent Lionpaw. I you definitley have very talented people who are not as good in academics. I think the requirement should be that they attend all their classes and maintain a minimum grade with tutors if they are struggling.

[Mosiah]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

But that's all ISSA is asking for! Lionpaw is making it seem like ISSA is insisting on "brilliance". If I remember correctly, ISSA is saying that payers should maintain a 45% average in 4 subjects, or something like that, and show 80% attendance. In other words, ISSA is asking for the players to maintain a failing grade over 4 subjects!!!!



If that is too much for some of us, then I give up.

[Mosiah]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

Here is the article. ISSA is not even asking the players to pass 4 subjects. All they have to do is maintain a 45% grade over 4 subjects. By the time the CXC exams come along, they can fail them all if they so choose!



Get those grades!

ISSA targets schools that exploit student-athletes

KAYON RAYNOR, Observer staff reporter

Wednesday, August 30, 2006





RADCLIFFE... we need to be a little more proactive

HIGH school adminis-trators who exploit academically challenged student-athletes for the sake of sports will find it harder to accomplish in the upcoming school year.



This as the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) has formulated a system to deter, and in some cases, catch high school operatives who flout their laws and allow students to take part in sports, even though they have not attained the minimal academic standard of averaging 45 per cent in four subjects.



ISSA is responsible for the running of all organised sports at the high school level in Jamaica.

President of ISSA Clement Radcliffe insists that this unethical practice will no longer be tolerated.



"The fact is that the executive has agreed that we need to be a little more proactive, so effective this September a permanent team will be established - whose primary responsibility is to randomly select schools and athletes and go in to check the records.



"This will begin in September with football, possibly netball and basketball," Radcliffe told the Observer in an exclusive interview yesterday.



Incidentally, the annual schoolboy football season - including the Manning and daCosta Cup competitions - is due to kick-off on September 9.



According to the veteran administrator: "In recent times concerns have been raised and the main contention is that our (ISSA's) rules are not being respected by some of our members.



"Frankly, we have no proof of this and what our approach had been in the past is that when specific allegations are made, they are investigated through a team that would visit the institutions and check the records."



Approximately 140 schools are on the books of ISSA, of which 120 take part in football.



Radcliffe, who is also the principal of Glenmuir High School, is pleading with those people aware of these breaches to advise ISSA so that it can take corrective action.

"The most effective means of policing our competitions will be the proactive approach by the wider community and also neighbouring schools," he said.



Almost a year-and-a-half ago, the Observer in an investigative story titled "For the glory of schools ... but at what cost to student athletes", revealed that "some coaches believe it is not their responsibility to focus on the academic well-being of the student-athletes, saying instead, that it was the responsibility of subject teachers".



The story further stated that "while some teachers accept the responsibility in principle, they say the 15-20 hours per week of athletics training leave athletes tired and sleepy, with no time for academic work".



And regarding the possible sanctions against coaches, teachers and institutions for breaching the rules, the ISSA boss said, "We have the benefit of a recent experience where we have banned coaches for extensive periods of time.



"We have excluded athletes from further participating in our competitions. When the cheating is deliberate the minimum we give them is two years... our action is a part of our record in this regard," a stern-talking Radcliffe added.



On the matter of students competing in ISSA-run competitions with false birth certificates, Radcliffe reiterat-ed that this practice will not be tolerated.



"It is still the responsibility of the schools to make sure that their records are correct and we do not take ignorance as an excuse. In instances where breaches are observed, we will require from these schools the official documents from the RGD (Registrar General's Department), and these must be submitt

[Plush]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

Mosaih, No Press annoucement regarding the SVG game yet....I would think a lost like that would require one. Are we gonna back WD again? CB seems to be clueless...After everyone said the team played bad in the first game....CB said they had a great 1st half and relaxed in the 2nd......and the 2nd was planned........

Ok, I told you so.... knew it was a very bad decision to bring CB back.....I heard them interview before the tournament and asked what new/different eg. tactics will he be bringing to the table...the man seh nutten.......imagine...all di time in exile di man learn nothing. Di man nutten fi prove other than talk bout whenever him down and need topay di bills him get bless wid a job.....Di man jus pickin up a check, and why not.......

And please don't tell me the other caribbean teams getting better as 7-0 and 4-0 still a drop...a guess dem getting a lil better and we staying stagnant

[Mosiah]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

Yuh sound like yuh expect me to make excuses over the farce that is now our football.



I have already said that CB is daft to believe that our 1st half against St. Lucia was good. It was not! Yes, we scored 4 goals but there were some worrying signs in that half that only showed up even more in the woeful 2nd half.



Don't expect any press conferences, but if we lose tonight, expect all hell to come down on this administration, with Spencer from Manchester taking the lead as the Captain nudges his soldiers into action.

[Lionpaw]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

I heard on a radio program that it was 4 cxc's, and u live in JA by the way Mos? If u do, sit down and watch a Manning Cup or Dacosta Cup match on TV. It's the most awful sight. I have yet to watch a game where a team keep the ball in their possession for at least 15 seconds. It's a rare occassion where they make it to 10 seconds without blastin the ball upfieldor jus plain giving it away. When I was younger, Manning and Dacosta Cup games were attractive to watch. Eversince they bring in these requirements the football look like kindergarten cause as I said before, nerds can't play sports. You have any idea how bad Courtney Walsh use to do in school? Mi old ladyuse to attend school with him.

By the way, Boyd didn't reach far in football individually, but what he did, and how he playedfor Jamaica was exceptional. Just ask any1 who use to go to stadium just because Boyd in the team.Or the 30,000 large that use to tear down the house when he simply got off the bench to warm up.

[Mosiah]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

Lionpaw (10/1/2006)I heard on a radio program that it was 4 cxc's, and u live in JA by the way Mos? If u do, sit down and watch a Manning Cup or Dacosta Cup match on TV. It's the most awful sight. I have yet to watch a game where a team keep the ball in their possession for at least 15 seconds. It's a rare occassion where they make it to 10 seconds without blastin the ball upfieldor jus plain giving it away. When I was younger, Manning and Dacosta Cup games were attractive to watch. Eversince they bring in these requirements the football look like kindergarten cause as I said before, nerds can't play sports. You have any idea how bad Courtney Walsh use to do in school? Mi old ladyuse to attend school with him.



By the way, Boyd didn't reach far in football individually, but what he did, and how he playedfor Jamaica was exceptional. Just ask any1 who use to go to stadium just because Boyd in the team.Or the 30,000 large that use to tear down the house when he simply got off the bench to warm up.

If you are satisfied with Boyd's accomplishments, then good for you.



Question - when did ISSA institute this 4 CXC requirement?



Question - since when has schoolboy football become difficult to watch?



Again - maintaining a 45% grade in school is not considered nerdish behaviour in most civilised countries!



Mankind, ah miss yuh fi real.

[The Emperor]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

while i see your point i, personally, would prefer to find solutions helping the students rather than trying to have the rules change. first we must remember that they are students first- they only get the previlege of playing by virtue of being a student at the school.

being a high school student, 4 cxc's is not an unrealistic ask. in fact, that should be the students personal goal. lets face it very few youth are going to make it as professional footballers- they therefore need another means of survival (besides crime) and academics may be able to provide that.

i've seen color having to leave some of his most talented players off his squad at titchfield because of these academic requirements. what he's since started is an initiative to help the "slowest" kids meet those requirements. he work with other teachers who are willing to donate their time and they all dig in and help these boys. that is a possible solution in which everyone may end up winning.

just recently i devise an extensive plan for him which seeks to get the parents and the community involved in the team. here you can have the parents reinforce the need for sound educational achievements and even aid in making sure they are realized.

for every stop there is a go. the rule may be an obstacle but not an impossible one to clear and continue going.

[Mosiah]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

But we need to be clear on one thing - ISSA is not insisting that they pass 4 CXC's. Many of them would not have even sat that exam yet. ISSA is asking them to maintain a 45% grade while in school.



The way things are going now academically, one could argue that we need to cut back on high school sports. Have we taken a look at today's Gleaner? The top ten averages for passes in English and Mathematics in non-traditional and technical high schools are 25.9 and 11.0 respectively. Which schools a dun di place right now in the daCosta and Manning Cup competitions?



Looked at another way, maybe the bar for footballers has been set too high!



One thing is certain though - Jamaica will never get out of this economic rut until we raise the level.

[Tilla]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

Education has to be the first and foremost thing for the students in high school - football and other sports come second. That said, some minimum level of academic attainment is a must, you have to have standards.

Some students go to school and feel that because they are football stars the schools will be sympathetic to their academic underachievement. This should not be allowed in schools. Also, if a student plays football and is struggling academically, their should be academic support systems in place to give them additional tutoring.

One of the thing we have to learn is that we all can learn, albeit at different rates. If someone's mind is not committed to learning, then they will not learn anything . . .

[Karl]

RE: ISSA should get some blame for this!!

I am convinced that, in today's football world, the smartest TEAMs most often win!

We should be moving further and further towards the academically gifted athlete. Being great at sport does not mean not being very good at 'beating the books'.

Too many '4 CXC subjects' students said more about the education system than about the academicability ofour kids.Funny thing is while I was a ref - (1968 through to 1990) -I did not meet one player who could have been classified a fool. Players with misplaced priorities? Yes! ..but, players who could be judged to not have had the 'brains' to succeed in the classroom? No!

...but, then I am from the school that teaches, if the childhas notlearnt...the teacher has not taught! We have no 'fool-fool' kids. Talent abounds... in tremendous quantities inour Jamaica!