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Coach Downswell cautious ahead of Under-17 World Cup
Published: Wednesday | June 8, 2011
Marva Bernard (seated, third left), president of the Jamaica Netball Association, and Jill McIntosh (seated, second left), technical director of the Sunshine Girls came out on Sunday to wish the Under-17 Reggae Boyz and coaching staff the best of luck on their journey to Mexico for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament. The Boyz departed yesterday for a seven-day training camp sponsored by Digicel in Mexico ahead of the start of the World Cup Games. At left (seated) is head coach of the Under-17 squad, Wendell Downswell. - Contributed
Ryon Jones, GleanerWriter
It was an apprehensive National Under-17 head coach, Wendell Downswell, who departed the island yesterday with the Jamaica squad to host country Mexico for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which commences on June 18.
Downswell's main concern, two weeks before the tournament, is the less-than-ideal level of preparation that the youngsters have received ahead of the premier youth football tournament.
"Have we really prepared?" Downswell queried while speaking to The Gleaner at the official Reggae Boyz residence yesterday. "That is my major concern, because the fact that the examinations and the other factors - such as us not getting an overseas camp earlier to evaluate the players - have resulted in some level of reservation," he added.
Downswell also cited the fact that the fifth-form students who make up the team, including captain Omar Holness, have been preparing for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations. This, he said, has been a major hindrance to the team's preparations.
"We were faced with the challenges with the exams," Downswell stated. "The nucleus of the team, the likes of Omar (Holness) and others who form an integral part of the team, kept fluctuating between exams and training, so it wasn't an easy task for them. It was challenging for the technical staff as well," he added.
Two to join squad later
Holness and defender Oshane Jenkins did not depart with the team yesterday, as they are still sitting examinations. Downswell is, however, hopeful that Holness will make the first practice game on June 10, but Jenkins is not expected to arrive in Mexico before the team's second and ultimate practice game on June 13.
The team will engage in a Digicel-sponsored seven-day training camp in Toluca, Mexico, from June 8-14 ahead of the tournament and Downswell intends to use this camp to add the finishing touches to his team.
"The camp will serve a number of purposes. One is to get the youngsters acclimatised to the conditions in Mexico and it gives the coaching staff a grand opportunity to look at the players at the international level and see how they can adapt themselves," Downswell said. "We have some new players at the international level and we have some tactical areas that we want to work on. We will also be looking at the starting team again, so it will serve a number of purposes for us going forward, especially going into the first game," he added.
Jamaica's Under-17s have been placed in Group B, along with Japan, France and Argentina.
"It is just for us to get a positive start especially against Japan and then consolidate our position from there on," Downswell said. "I think if we go out there and fully focus with the ability that this team possess we can be one of the surprise teams of the competition," he added.
Published: Wednesday | June 8, 2011
Marva Bernard (seated, third left), president of the Jamaica Netball Association, and Jill McIntosh (seated, second left), technical director of the Sunshine Girls came out on Sunday to wish the Under-17 Reggae Boyz and coaching staff the best of luck on their journey to Mexico for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament. The Boyz departed yesterday for a seven-day training camp sponsored by Digicel in Mexico ahead of the start of the World Cup Games. At left (seated) is head coach of the Under-17 squad, Wendell Downswell. - Contributed
Ryon Jones, GleanerWriter
It was an apprehensive National Under-17 head coach, Wendell Downswell, who departed the island yesterday with the Jamaica squad to host country Mexico for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which commences on June 18.
Downswell's main concern, two weeks before the tournament, is the less-than-ideal level of preparation that the youngsters have received ahead of the premier youth football tournament.
"Have we really prepared?" Downswell queried while speaking to The Gleaner at the official Reggae Boyz residence yesterday. "That is my major concern, because the fact that the examinations and the other factors - such as us not getting an overseas camp earlier to evaluate the players - have resulted in some level of reservation," he added.
Downswell also cited the fact that the fifth-form students who make up the team, including captain Omar Holness, have been preparing for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations. This, he said, has been a major hindrance to the team's preparations.
"We were faced with the challenges with the exams," Downswell stated. "The nucleus of the team, the likes of Omar (Holness) and others who form an integral part of the team, kept fluctuating between exams and training, so it wasn't an easy task for them. It was challenging for the technical staff as well," he added.
Two to join squad later
Holness and defender Oshane Jenkins did not depart with the team yesterday, as they are still sitting examinations. Downswell is, however, hopeful that Holness will make the first practice game on June 10, but Jenkins is not expected to arrive in Mexico before the team's second and ultimate practice game on June 13.
The team will engage in a Digicel-sponsored seven-day training camp in Toluca, Mexico, from June 8-14 ahead of the tournament and Downswell intends to use this camp to add the finishing touches to his team.
"The camp will serve a number of purposes. One is to get the youngsters acclimatised to the conditions in Mexico and it gives the coaching staff a grand opportunity to look at the players at the international level and see how they can adapt themselves," Downswell said. "We have some new players at the international level and we have some tactical areas that we want to work on. We will also be looking at the starting team again, so it will serve a number of purposes for us going forward, especially going into the first game," he added.
Jamaica's Under-17s have been placed in Group B, along with Japan, France and Argentina.
"It is just for us to get a positive start especially against Japan and then consolidate our position from there on," Downswell said. "I think if we go out there and fully focus with the ability that this team possess we can be one of the surprise teams of the competition," he added.
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