We have to start with baby steps

[Jangle]

Football: New coaches graduate weekend

The first batch of students at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) University of Technology (UTECH) Coaching School will complete their course of study this weekend with the sitting of their examinations, both practical and theory.

On Saturday they will sit the practical examinations at midday and on Sunday at 9:00am. Examinations will take place at UTECH, the site of lectures.

The inaugural course which targeted ISSA coaches had 54 coaches registering and could see 52 sitting the examinations. This the first course spanned six weekends with classes taking place on Saturdays and Sundays. Among the lecturers were Dr. Winston Dawes (Sports Medicine, the female athlete, and the young athlete), Dr. Heather Little-White (Nutrition), Dr. Neville Graham (Anatomy, physiology), Ms. Kadijah Richards (Sports Psychology), Roy Thomas (Metholodolgy of skills teaching, principles of coaching, fitness development, Exercise physiology), Bradley Stewart and Wendell Downswell (Technique Development). Thomas also served as the Associate Director of the program while Dr. Dawes also served as the Programme Director.

Participants in the course which consisted of over 52 hours of instruction split over two modules, Basic Coaching Sciences and Technical Football Preparation and Laws of the Game, will leave with an Advanced Level 1 certification upon satisfactory conclusion of the curriculum.

The second Advanced Level One will begin on April 25, 2009 at a cost of $20,000 per participant. That figure will cover the cost of all course materials. No student will be admitted to the course without the payment of at least 50 per cent of the cost with the full amount to be paid by the third week of instruction.

Registration takes place through the JFF and interested individuals are required to provide a passport sized photograph, TRN number and educational certificates for registration.

These beginner courses are highly recommended as they will provide easier platform for admittance to the Level 2 certification course. This upper level course will have more stringent admission measures and the completion of Level 1 provides a necessary foundation that is built on in the following courses.

In setting up the Coaching School, the Federation is looking forward to ushering in a new era in the development of football in Jamaica as the country seeks to recreate and build on its successes in the 1998 World Cup and the years following in which Jamaica was ranked as high as 37th in the FIFA world rankings.

It is the policy of the organizers that participation in the courses be a mandatory requirement for being allowed to coach at any level in Jamaica.

All persons coaching in Jamaica will have to be registered and as of September 9, 2009 no coach will be able to perform in an approved JFF competition without certification approved by the body.

[Sir X]

Not pleased with it at all , how can we have Dunces teaching dunces.All the participants have been past failures,they need lectures themselves.The Jff needs to reach out to the U.K and see where we can get some help from bonafide professionals on how to set up this program and what needs to be taught.

We have a coaching problem , we know it .We must 1st admit it and then seek the solution.

We have more than enough Ub40s who want to make a contribution .We could ask the english FA directly to help us with lecturers.I am sorry but to me its all a joke.

I in no way fault these coaches that take up these assingments with the Juniors to seniors .I put it all on the JFF head.

[Jangle]

I agree with you about who we have as teachers. We don't need to go as far as England, we can get qualified lecturers right here in the USA, which may be cheaper.

[Sir X]

Please jangle , we want and need the best , its a Jamaican thing , besides are you sure it will be cheaper from the USA , we might get it free from the U.K .

[Assasin]

they failed at coaching not but the they maybe good at lecturing.
It is a start. Even in the US the best lecturers are not necessarily the best coaches either.

For the level two there maybe better lecturers.

[Mitty]

Sass, u funny like bugs bunny, u wrote "they failed at coaching not but the they maybe good at lecturing". But Sass, they are lecturing about what they know as football coaches and admin personnel. Dont mek de UTECH ting fool u, we are talking about football here and not academics.

[Assasin]

No Mitty. Almost every good Business professor failed at business. Nuff people can impart the knowledge but can't manage teams. I bet you almost any coach we get from England and US also have failed and are not really successful. Most of the Academy coaches are good at basic and the physical preparation but not managing a team.

We must not mix up the two. Downswell I think would be a good academy coach. He has travelled, he has education and hopefully can teach it to fellow coaches but I wouldn't put him near my team. Check out many of the big England academy coaches and you will see they have failed but have the certification.

[Mitty]

Sass Bredrin, I am not sure if that analogy works here, teaching the academics of business and running a business are two different things. U r right when u say a business teacher dont always make good business manager, but what I am talking about is the successful business manager teaching how to manage a business and not some lecturer teaching how to manage a business. In this case, JFF they need successful football managers giving those lectures.

U r right about WD, but I have heard he doesnt have the leadership ability to be a successful coach, so he may be lacking when delivering that aspect of the lecture.

I wouldnt take advice about coaching from a lousy coach unless our attributes are complementary ( his strengths are my weaknesses ect)

[Assasin]

You think Fergie or Jose would be the best lecturer?

[Mosiah]

Heh heh! I wonder if Man A Yard might mek a better lecturer?!?

[Assasin]

might be.

One a the famous American president did bancrupt a business too.

[Mitty]

Heh, heh... ,u figget Wenger, Huddink, and the great Carl Brown.

Dont get me wrong I would love to see our local coaches and technical staff develop the abilities to teach those classes, but that is only only wishful thinking. The failure of our U17 & u20 tell us a different story.

Sass, St. Vincent led Honduras 1-0 until the 67th min when a Vincy player was red carded. It was only then Honduras scored three goals from the 74th min on. Based on how we beat Vincy on their turf, I was expecting a better result against Hon, instead we get a beat down, worst dan whe Chris brown ge Rihanna.
We cannot fool ourselves thinking that our coaches are ready for the big stage.
Even Mosiah will admit that the T&T youth teams are better prepared than ours.
BTW what happen to our current U17 players r they preparing for the WC?

[Assasin]

Yes I understand what you are saying but he there is a difference teaching the coach than actually teaching the players.

We have a few coaches who have achieved a lot in the classroom. Take a coach like Leebert Aliman(sp) hasn't accomplished too much but he has travelled and have been to many training courses all over. There are a few who could take these courses as they are the very basic courses.

Look at Trinidad, one a them big instructor is Corneal and how successful is he? Even if the foriegn come in these coaches have to play major role.

[myYout]

Ah who yuh a call dunces now, bwoy yuh can mek some rash statements sah. Dunce, Rucks bwoy yuh ah sittn else. Whappn to rationale breddrin

[Karl]

...no coach will be able to perform in an approved JFF competition without certification approved by the body.

The provision of the courses is a commendable move by the JFF...but why 'shout' claims it cannot enforce?

Just think on it a wee bit...if a primary school (secondary or college or busness house or university or civil service entity, etc.) in the hills of Success, Hanover or on the plains of Vere or wherever can only find a 'marrer' to aid in preparation of its team, the JFF would then instruct that that affiliate not aid the development of those teams?

NONSENSE policies are sure easy to 'shout aloud'!