Why Jamaica will never produce a football great

[Baddaz]

i think he is being smart... 'a defender who has the versatility to play in midfield, (and) wants to play professionally' doesn't guarantee a pro contract that can provide security for life... each has to make decisions in their personal self interest... yute probly ongle si pure suffarashan roun him and decide his story will not be like the others...

not everyone can afford to put educational oppty on the back burner...

[Mosiah]

true, esp. if yuh not really dat good!

[Hortical]

If you are the cream of the crop talent, then he will get selected to the pro leagues. If his talent is marginal, then he may want to consider his education first.

As I said before, if he was truly great he would get a run with a professional side. Education is the right option for him.

[1of1]

yeah but if yuh agood baller an get a good contract fi play tek it

[Assasin]

yeah but what if you good at both? It is not always either or. You notice I am not saying to refuse the contract but find other ways of educating yourself with your contract in hand.

it is not impossible.

[TheDread]

Tiger Woods went to Stanford, not sure for how long but it takes some serious brain power to get into a school like that

But Tiger also had good enough grades to qualify as a regular student at Stanford.

[TheDread]

It's ludicrous to suggest that because a player is considering education that he is not commited to a pro career. It is actually a great decision to go play at US college, develop further and see if that contract can materialize than staying in JA playing in the DPL. JA is not a hotbed for scouts from the big european clubs to seek talent, consequently very few will have contracts when they are teenagers...so we have to use alternate paths.

[Mitty]

College!! yu chest high...How many have high school diplomas? Most of these players are sugn at a very young age and haffi play inna academy with a rudimentary academic system.

[Muadib]

yuh mussi mean oddah dan Tappa...

[Peter R]

The truth is, after looking at most of the posts, that every pro sport has a particular path that leads to a pro career in said sport. In America the big two, Am. football and Basketball dictate that you go to "college" and therefore you MIGHT get an education regardless of whether you "earn" a degree or not. So, whatever the sporting outcome, i.e. drafted or not, you should have a piece of paper. I might include a bunch of other "minor" sports, such as track & F, swimming, tennis, to name three, that likely follow this reoute.

Baseball and Ice Hockey have different paths , not necessarily involving "college". Real football can entail going to college, like many of the Americans plying their trade in Europe e.g. Clint Dempsey to pick a random name... but look at the rank and file British youth who signs with the clubs u13 then U 15 and progresses to the reserves etc..they probably can read and write and that's it, (thankfully GB is full of polytechnics).

To sum up, every pro sport has its established path to the major/pro league; some involve getting a tertiary level education and some might not.

IMO if you want to become a pro, follow the established path and then take it from there. If " college " is included in the path, great, if not, well, try your best and hopefully you won't leave it til you're 35 to wake up and smell the coffee that you're never going to make pro.

If the standard approach doesn't include a university education, then hopefully you will be motivated enough to return to school and get your academic qualification if the effort to get a pro contract doesn't work out.

[1of1]

that's what I have been saying, tek the money then go back to school

[Gamma]

"well"... "read and write well"!

[Gamma]

which teacha a guh fail tiger, back then?! now is a different sanky woulda sing!

[Sickko]

That is my point

[Mosiah]

yuhseeit!