The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

[Tilla]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Siya (10/30/2006)I remember Wendell telling me about the U20 World cup in Argentina where an Argentine fan who saw Keith play brought him a Maradona Jersey and asked him to give it to the youth out of appreciation of the talent but we as Jamaicansfelt fine seeing him rot in Jamaica as long as Tappa started.

Siya: If I cudda reach yuh, ah woudda buy yuh a Red Stripe right now! Preach it my brother, preach it.

Mi glad someone else can explain it with such clarity (my nuh good at expressing it likka yuh!). I have come to be known as a Tappa hater because of expressing the same sentiments. My glad seh you can tell it like it is.

[Sickko]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

DeShaun Woolery went away on scholarship and is still one semester away from getting his degree from UNLV.



He took the presnet semester off to deal with some family/personal matters and in the meawhile is represneting Wadadah in the NPL before going back to Vegas in january to finish school.



Except for lack of fitness and the additional of about 15lbs, he still shows a lot of the skills he had while he was here and is an even better passer of the ball now.



He was called up for the Digicel Cup but got cut from the squad.



Loren Sailsman is also in College but his better days are behind him and a serious gut in front of him...he has taken a year off to deal with a knee injury but is planning on returning to Houston to school in August next year.

[Sickko]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Fabian 'Lexus' Blake is at Reno nad appears to have settled into being a solid if not outstanding NPL player for the past two seaosns.



He is still young and had a bit of up and down running from one team to the next- Wadadah, Waterhouse and even some local clubs in Westmoreland and was also in some trouble with the law after police found about 5lbs of weed in his bags when he was on his way to Barbados two years or so ago but his travelling partner took the rap and got about three years in prison.

[Lionpaw]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Sickko (10/30/2006)Fabian 'Lexus' Blake is at Reno nad appears to have settled into being a solid if not outstanding NPL player for the past two seaosns.

He is still young and had a bit of up and down running from one team to the next- Wadadah, Waterhouse and even some local clubs in Westmoreland and was also in some trouble with the law after police found about 5lbs of weed in his bags when he was on his way to Barbados two years or so ago but his travelling partner took the rap and got about three years in prison.

He played well yesterday.

[Karl]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Mosiah (10/30/2006)<DIV>On the other hand, we are sometimes too nervous to include these youngsters when they have demonstrated that they are ready for the senior role. Why was talent like Jermaine Hue excluded for years and only became a fixture, in fact, the fixture on the national side less than 2 years ago?</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Had we not thrown away people like Shavar for some wishy-washy reason, he would probably have matured into one of our mainstays of the national team 3 or 4 years ago. Now, he's 25!</DIV>

Granted there would be a problem in making a proper assessment of our youngsters' progress as they are neverinvolved in age-group matches of quality.

The JFF s%$#@#$$$ them by condemning them to long bouts of inactivity, under-preparation for matches, ...usually put them in extremely lower level matches - CFU opponents &amp; only infrequently - recipe for stagnation. ...and, they therefore are not playing with their high quality peers and or *high quality NPL teammates.

I would like to know which of our youngsters demanded by performances at a lower level elevation to the senior squad?

Which of our young players currently perform in a manner that demand by those performances a place in our senior squad?

I am serious! Pleeeeeeeeeeeease do not give us players who make one or two passes or score two goals, or in one match performed creditable...pleeeeeeease use your best judgement of players and give your honest opinion? Just want to know who you consider quality player(s)?

I would say Keith Kelly and Allien Whittakerwere the only ones I saw who after the 2001 Argentina U-20 trip deserved to be in the senior squad. I thought then, and said so then, that they should have been drafted into the senior squad.

Kelly could then command a few minutes per match (*spelling Tappa) and Whittaker would have been our 4th (If I am remembering correctly) goalkeeper.

Aside:

Oh Mosiah: Remember we had many conversations that Hue should have been in the squad earlier and spelling Tappa. I actually thought Hue had fallen off a little when he played during the 2006 World Cup.

...and, I still say he, as seen in the England match, has notimproved as much as I think he could/should have.

[Karl]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Hortikal (10/30/2006)The coaches have just failed to groom these yutes for the future. Carl Brown especially prefers to go with players that he knows, and takes a cautious approach. The end result is that he kept players who lost their effectiveness years ago, and failed to include fresh blood in his squads.

Karl - no need fi you to respond to every comment about Carl Brown.

I think CB picks for the senior team...players he considers among best available. Looking at his selections I would say, he does notpick youngsters just because they are youngsters! If an older player is the better selection he does not discriminate against that older player and thus sells the nation short.

[Siya]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Granted there would be a problem in making a proper assessment of our youngsters' progress as they are neverinvolved in age-group matches of quality.

The ones we are talking about Karl were involved in age group matches of quality -I seem to remember two youth world cups not to mention the qualifiers where they came out unbeaten by their CONCACAF peers! They matched play for play Landon Donovan, Damarcus Beasley; Mexico's Luis Perez, CR's Winston Parkes and Eric Scott - players who qualified ahead of Tappa and Co at the senior level and have gone on to play in World cups since 2002.

I would like to know which of our youngsters demanded by performances at a lower level elevation to the senior squad?

When The seniors failed in 2002 qualifiers and Carl Brown usedKing Kelly and some of his peersin the last game against Costa Rica and di yout dem neva back and give it wicked to Costa Rica even though they ended up losing -Jamaica was abuzz with the performance andwewondered why we neverjust usedem youth deh from beginning ALAS by next qualifiers ('06) roll around you hear say dem fi just be understudy to some man weh nuh play a good game fi Jamaica since 1998.

I would say Keith Kelly and Allien Whittakerwere the only ones I saw who after the 2001 Argentina U-20 trip deserved to be in the senior squad. I thought then, and said so then, that they should have been drafted into the senior squad.

Karl the name Keith Kelly was like a badwud to you and TK specially. I don't remember you saying he deserved to be in the squad. You capitulated when we called you on your hypocrisy but you never want hear the name Hue or Kelly called near our midfield at all - that's how I remember it.

Kelly could then command a few minutes per match (*spelling Tappa) and Whittaker would have been our 4th (If I am remembering correctly) goalkeeper.

Why the youth would come in to spell a midfield general who rarely took shots, hadn't scored in YEARS and hadn't made one penetrative pass that lead to an easy goal for our forward in years if ever -whenthese were things Keithwasbeing taughtvery well at PSG, of all places,so heshould have just outright replaced Tappa.

[/quote]

[Siya]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

I will need an IOU on that sir!

[Karl]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

We keep making the mistake of thinking youth development is puttingyoung playerswho are not senior teamqualityin our senior team. That has no part in youth developement.

The youngsters must be feed a stedy diet of quality age-group matches. The NPL's standard of play must be vastly improved to assist in the development of the youngsters...and,at the earlier agetheenvironment must be created in which our youngsters - all across the island - get that earlyavenue to develop.

Youth Devlopment is an ungoingprocess wherein from earliest ages through to age-group teams...thenthrough Jamaica National Age-Group teams...towards inclusion in National SeniorTeams and or the professional clubs - (We are talking our males and females here.) there is development of talent/rising to full potential.

We really must stop this repetitive claim that throwingyoungsters into our senior teams is youth development.The JFF is using that as a reason to ignore youth development.

[Jangle]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Business is great!!!!! I'm busy like a bee. Have to try to make it before the winter blues set in. Thanks for asking.

[Tilla]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Siya (10/30/2006)I will need an IOU on that sir!

Arite sar. That is a deal. I guess we will meet at some Jamaica game in time.

[Plush]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

While I do agree withmajority of sentiments on here...I think there is one thing that both us and the writer failed to mention....

What is the responsibility of the players and their parents to their success. It's easy to put the balme on the administration...but how many of our players become maradonas too early...How much of them think they don't need to practise because dem already a star....how much of dem miss training when dem want, hang out all night...even match night...deh wid dem 50 woman and involve inna everything escept training...

Take it from me...one has to be true to his self and committed to achieve....You guys are definitely forgeting the commitment factor.....can we honestly say that most JA ballers have the same level of committment and put in the same amount of hardwork as the US, Argentina...etc.?

Can we honestly that the parents push for them, support them, and assist them all the way...Do they even have any parent to support and push them..

I just don't think it's has simple has this article puts it..I think it's easy to cast the blame to the JFF...Offcourse they should bare part of the blame but the lame doesn't soley lie with them

[Sickko]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Good point Plush, what it points to is a take take attitude and players not willing to make the commitment to advance themselves but sitting back and expecting the system to work for them.

Maybe they need to take a page from the book ofthe true sports greats like magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Johnson who would be first at training and last to leave plus they would work out on their own as well.

[Mosiah]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Sickko (10/31/2006)Good point Plush, what it points to is a take take attitude and players not willing to make the commitment to advance themselves but sitting back and expecting the system to work for them.

Maybe they need to take a page from the book ofthe true sports greats like magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Johnson who would be first at training and last to leave plus they would work out on their own as well.

<DIV></DIV><DIV>Sorry. I can't buy Plush's argument. Yes, of course there is personal responsibility and all that, but you can't just become a football professional on your own. Many times, it is national caps that give you the recognition that you need to get a good contract abroad. Going to a US college could harm your football prospects more than anything sometimes.</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>And it's quite another thing when you live in a country like Jamaica. You think Alien Whittaker loved the army so much and that's why he joined? Bills have to be paid!</DIV>

[Karl]

RE: The Lost Boyz - After playing in two World Youth Championships (WYC)...

Siya (10/30/2006)I tried to respond to Karl's post over the weekend with the same sentiments but my I had problems submitting the post.

Basically how can you say the youth must be prepared by playing top of the world teams before they can come into the senior squad and for years sit on this site steadfastly and shamelessly fighting down Keith Kelly who only played at two Youth world cups and got tutored at PSGand was running a midfield in Belgium's top flight before he was twenty.

Firstly who is that "you" you are mentioning who was fighting down Keith Kelly? That certainly was not me!

Not TOP OF THE WORLD teams before making our National SENIOR Squad? TOP OF THE WORLD AGE GROUP TEAMS!

These young with potential missed out on being tested...encouraged to continue their development by not being allowed to meet their age group TOP TEAMS. That is something the JFF MUST provide. Something past JFF and the current JFF administration has fallen down on.

Let us use as an example, U-21 national teams in Europe. We have to face facts....confront head on, that those U-21 teams are miles above the quality found in our NPL. They are miles above many senior CFU and CONCACAF teams.I am thinking, it would a mad persons who would...have been denying our 'talent with seen potential' the preparation and opportunity to improve skill levels - technical &amp; tactical skills - by arranging continuous stream of matches against that and similar quality teams.

I am saying, if the above is done it would mean youngsters would, by performances in those matches stake claim to entering our senior national teams. I am saying, it is crazy to

by-passthat phase in exposure and climate for developing potential and simply skipping towards throwingundeserving youth into our national senior teams.

It appears to me that what most here is suggesting is a continuous game of musical chairs of youth with potential in the national team set up. In my mind a sure recipe for -

1. Weak national teams...perpetually weak national teams.

2. Demotivated players - a) seniors: Because they know their tenue is made by 'policy'...fleeting. Fleeting because being among the best players is not the criteria to be selected for the national team...but, rather being young and with some seen potential.

b) the very youngsters who some claim they are promoting: Because they know they do not have to strive to be 'best'...as 'youth with potential' will get them in the team...and, as there are many 'youth with potential' it is a 'Russian roulette' type policy that gets one in the team.

They would have been observing that the best players are often being 'kicked off' the national squads for 'youth with potential'.

I am saying selecting national squadsunder a policy of selection ofless than the best players is self-defeating.I go further and say it is a sick arse policy. A policy made up by losers.

The young players with potential must first be the best at their age-group...and, they must be given the opportunity to develop even while playing against the world's best at their age-group level...

...and, then those who, by level of performances, demand/kick down the door at the national team level...on merit, demand promotion to the national teams get into the national team.That seems to me how players would move from one level to a higher level in the national team set up.

NB: Sure you will have a very few, like a Bibi, who would by performances skip levels. But, it cannot be a policy to be throwing wholesale 'youth with potential' who are not among our absolutebest players into our national teams, that is a sure recipe for persistent inexperienced, third tier, inept national teams.It would be 'policy for creating losing teams' and how to fustrate all the stakeholders[b], except tho