Yesterday I had the Chance of watching

[Jawge]

Ah true but as you know right now high school football is taking up the position of a youth league. I didn't say scrap it but we need the to have the vision and courage to move away the youth league from the hands of the high schools.

[Jawge]

arite sah

[Gamma]

the issue is not whether you CARE for cricket.....

[Gamma]

irony? nah ......

[Jangle]

That is the responsibility of the JFF. ISSA is not obligated to the JFF nor the development of football in Jamaica.

[Karl]

Ah true but as you know right now high school football is taking up the position of a youth league. I didn't say scrap it but we need the to have the vision and courage to move away the youth league from the hands of the high schools.

How can you do that without moving the youth out of the high schools?

Do you suggest we move the kids we would like to learn English to, at an early age, move into academies for the teaching and learning of English?

Those we want to become great physicists at an early age into academies for physicists?

Those we want to become great mathematicians at an early age moved into academies for mathematicians?

...and our potential great footballers into football academies?

Well...that may be ideal...but if that is the way we are going be absolutely sure that those in the traditional schools also have the opportunity to develop in those disciplines to their fullest potential. The surest way to do that is put in place leaders who can create the policies and the means of executing those policies that lead to improved performances in the schools.

...it logically follows that, for example, in football our leaders must develop a system that produces firstly the excellent teachers for the institutions and provide the environment for the teachers to be able to do quality teaching and the pupils to have quality leaning environment.

I'll say it again - leadership in football is where the real problem lies. Talent abounds! Develop that talent to fullest potential.

Aside: Dwaaag a nyam wi suppa areadi...but iffen yuh tink dwaag nyam wi suppa now, wait til 'Merica start put dem best quality creative players wid dem willingness tuh give maximum effort an dem TEAM discipline?!

[Jawge]

karl is sports (or lets get to it) football a part of academics?

If a student wishes to become a mathematician; the building blocks are within the high school system for the student to do so. Are the same building blocks in the high school for the kid that desires to be an INT'L football player? Why am I having this conversation? Can't you see they are two different fields?

This is why we hare having problems: you don't go to UWI or CAST saying you want to be a footballer Karl. The same way You don't go to a football academy in France saying you want to be a mathematician.
I thought that concept was abundantly clear.

[Jangle]

France and those other European countries have the means to absorb these kids into their society when they fail at football that little Jamaica. Dissolving high school football is not the solution to our problem.

[Karl]

karl is sports (or lets get to it) football a part of academics?

If a student wishes to become a mathematician; the building blocks are within the high school system for the student to do so. Are the same building blocks in the high school for the kid that desires to be an INT'L football player? Why am I having this conversation? Can't you see they are two different fields?

This is why we hare having problems: you don't go to UWI or CAST saying you want to be a footballer Karl. The same way You don't go to a football academy in France saying you want to be a mathematician.
I thought that concept was abundantly clear.

Is there anything that demands critical thing, decision making, action...not ?

Are the same building blocks in the high school for the kid that desires to be an INT'L football player?

No?

Jawge: Development of the "total man" is 'good'! We have a system where at early ages rapid growth occurs...all areas. It is during that early stage of development, when we are moving through those formative years that identification of 'talents' occur.

It would appear that that is not the time to withhold avenues for going down that 'rapid develop path' or to present less than extremely favourable environment where that rapid 'sponge-like' absorption of information and skills occur.

Just as we should make the school environment the very best for the 'teaching and learning mathematics', etc...so should we make it the very best for the 'teaching and learning of football' and all the disciplines which our Jamaica society demand and decide we need. That striving to make the teaching and learning environment in our schools the very best does not preclude establishing specialist education institutions. ...but it does make assured all our people have access to quality teaching.

Jawge: Just maximize use of that which we have! Your wish that schools remain or become sub-standard teaching learning institutions...matters not if you are talking mathematics or history, football or track & field...does not make sense!

[Jawge]

In other words all those that attend the academic
school in Ja move on to professional careers and the few that doesn't make it is absorbed by Ja's economy? Come on stop looking at the shadows. If Ja is to compete effectively in football; youth soccer has to be taken out of high schools.

The truth is a fire and it burns, but once we face it and deal with it constantly, the truth will not blind nor burn.

[Karl]

In other words all those that attend the academic
school in Ja move on to professional careers and the few that doesn't make it is absorbed by Ja's economy? Come on stop looking at the shadows. If Ja is to compete effectively in football; youth soccer has to be taken out of high schools.

The truth is a fire and it burns, but once we face it and deal with it constantly, the truth will not blind nor burn.

You run away from questions such as -

i) What introductory exposure to the subject the kids should have?

Think recognition of place to be given to and emphasis put on - Early Childhood Education.

ii) How to observe and then cull 'best of the best' from the talent pool.

iii) Need to build love for and willingness learn to the game;
and develop the expertise needed to constantly replenished in the game at various levels;

etc., etc.

Example - You do not get a cadre of excellent professionals with mathematics skills to work in the various disciplines which require those skills without having excellent policy framwork and the personnel to build out the program throughout the entire island at all the various levels.

It even comes down to the simple having many parents (all parents) having a love of mathematics and thus not having the desire to pursue that path themselves passing on the 'love' they had for the subject to their talented child who just simply wants to go down that path of study.

You have to have the teaching/learning environment within which that development of talent to fullest potential can take place.

[Jawge]

The path has been tried and proven by the likes of Brasil, Arg. Germany et al: It's simple, spot the early talent for the game and send them to an institution structured to get the best out of these talent. Why are you beating around the bush about childwood education? That's not what I'm talking about. In Ja if you want to be a mathematician; there is a place to go, if you want to be an INT'L footballer there is NO place to go. Fix it that's all I'm saying.

If we continue to comingle football with academics; we will always be a minnow in the region. It's that simple. High school can have their competitions but it must be diminshed from the status of a youth league. As we speak Ja's football is centered around high school football,; THIS HAS TO STOP. Brasil, Italy, Germany ARg. et al aren't doing what we are doing hence they enjoy king of the hill status in the game.

It's that simple.

[OJ]

us players do the fundamentals very well.. basic but efficient.. you can see from their youth players up.

[OJ]

well I am going to say coaching development which in turns leads to player development. I still think the structured nature of usa football stifles creativity but the organization of the sports helps in the early identification and player development.

[Peter R]

Jawge, sports is DEFINITELY part of academics. Many of the atributes that are required to achieve academically are also required to achieve on the sports field.

And there is absolutely no reason why a youth development program which all NPL teams (let's say ) should have, is mutually exclussive with a High School competitive league. HS season runs September to November/December and the "Pro League" from January to June...simple.