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Former national player, Wolde Harris, made a bold step yesterday when he launched Jamaica's Grassroots Football Company at Cuddy'z Sports Bar in New Kingston.
The company will cater to the development of young footballers and will be run by Harris, the CEO, and his brothers Samuel and Change.
"Inspired by the lifetime of our father, former national player and prominent youth coach for over 30 years, Trevor 'Jumpy' Harris, we have created a multi-faceted organisation that will expose youth football as an industry, and more importantly, provide a solid foundation for the psychological, technical and physical development of Jamaica's young footballers," the CEO said.
The company is set to kick off with operations on December 15 and run through to the 19th, with clinics and camps at the National Water Commission executive playing field in Mona. The clinics will also focus on youth-coaching seminars and workshops, with the inclusion of guest speakers, such as Neville 'Bertis' Bell, coach of the champion St George's College Manning Cup team. The work-shops will include discussions about the psychological, technical, tactical and physical aspects of teaching young players the game.
There are a number of sponsors backing the venture. They are NCB, Cuddy'z, Institute of Sports (INSPORTS), Locker Room Sports, Pepsi-Cola Jamaica and St John's Ambulance service.
Change needed
"We are looking to expose youth football as a viable industry," Harris said. "In Jamaica, we have not exploited the industry as the Americans and Mexico have done.
"When we look at what they have done and how it affected their players in a positive way - because they have been making the World Cup consistently - we need to do that here in Jamaica, as football is our number-one sport, and this is where we can effect changes - at the youth levels.
"Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 levels is where kids here normally learn most of their motor skills and muscle memory and so forth, and proper technique, so, therefore, there is where you can make change as to institute your philosophy, as to how you would want to play as a nation," he added.
Wolde Harris said in the long term they would look to go islandwide, but for now, the company would just focus on Kingston and St Andrew - targeting prep and first and possibly second-form students at high school.
Khari Stephenson, Fabian Davis, Paul Young, Wolde Harris and former goalkeeper coaches Paul Campbell and Clive Weatherburn are some of the coaches who have commited to work in the programme.
Horace Reid, Jamaica Football Federation general secretary, commended Harris on his vision.
Excellent initiative
He said: "There are not a lot of footballers, especially in this generation, who, after playing the game, have spent time involving themselves with the game and imparting the knowledge and experience they have gained.
"It's an excellent initiative," he added, saying such focus on youth development needed to be supported.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...s/sports3.html
The company will cater to the development of young footballers and will be run by Harris, the CEO, and his brothers Samuel and Change.
"Inspired by the lifetime of our father, former national player and prominent youth coach for over 30 years, Trevor 'Jumpy' Harris, we have created a multi-faceted organisation that will expose youth football as an industry, and more importantly, provide a solid foundation for the psychological, technical and physical development of Jamaica's young footballers," the CEO said.
The company is set to kick off with operations on December 15 and run through to the 19th, with clinics and camps at the National Water Commission executive playing field in Mona. The clinics will also focus on youth-coaching seminars and workshops, with the inclusion of guest speakers, such as Neville 'Bertis' Bell, coach of the champion St George's College Manning Cup team. The work-shops will include discussions about the psychological, technical, tactical and physical aspects of teaching young players the game.
There are a number of sponsors backing the venture. They are NCB, Cuddy'z, Institute of Sports (INSPORTS), Locker Room Sports, Pepsi-Cola Jamaica and St John's Ambulance service.
Change needed
"We are looking to expose youth football as a viable industry," Harris said. "In Jamaica, we have not exploited the industry as the Americans and Mexico have done.
"When we look at what they have done and how it affected their players in a positive way - because they have been making the World Cup consistently - we need to do that here in Jamaica, as football is our number-one sport, and this is where we can effect changes - at the youth levels.
"Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 levels is where kids here normally learn most of their motor skills and muscle memory and so forth, and proper technique, so, therefore, there is where you can make change as to institute your philosophy, as to how you would want to play as a nation," he added.
Wolde Harris said in the long term they would look to go islandwide, but for now, the company would just focus on Kingston and St Andrew - targeting prep and first and possibly second-form students at high school.
Khari Stephenson, Fabian Davis, Paul Young, Wolde Harris and former goalkeeper coaches Paul Campbell and Clive Weatherburn are some of the coaches who have commited to work in the programme.
Horace Reid, Jamaica Football Federation general secretary, commended Harris on his vision.
Excellent initiative
He said: "There are not a lot of footballers, especially in this generation, who, after playing the game, have spent time involving themselves with the game and imparting the knowledge and experience they have gained.
"It's an excellent initiative," he added, saying such focus on youth development needed to be supported.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...s/sports3.html
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