Women's program

[Mac]

As some people may know, the girls U20 team is now in the final phase of CONCACAF qualifying for the girls U20 World cup. They play will play against Canada, Mexico and Haiti.

This U20 team has been in development for some time. Yes, they have not had many international practice games. Also it is well known that the women's program does not get the same level of support of the men's team.

However, V. Blaine is a poor coach and even a more poor developer of a program. I wish I had more time to go through all the problems that have happened during this U20 program. Team selection has been the most striking problem. Especially with the selection of the oversee players. But the worst part of the team is the very poor organization of the team. Vin Blaine is a perfect example of the typical coach from Jamaica with poor tactical coaching skills. At some point in time we need to upgrade the coaching for the various women's program.

Anyway, good luck to the U20 team.

The girl's U17 team will also have the next round of qulifying games coming up. This is the team that has a much better chance of qualifying for the U17 World Cup. But again, coaching is needed. I hope that our Technical Director and the team can take over this team from Blaine to properly develop this team.

Respect
Mac

[Mac]

J'can coaches say Women's game lacks basics


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/J-can-coaches-say-Women-s-game-lacks-basics_10948314#ixzz1oKjIG3Tn

J'can coaches say Women's game lacks basics
SEAN WILLIAMS With the U-20 GIRLZ in Panama

Sunday, March 04, 2012
PANAMA CITY, Panama — Two coaches of Women's football in Jamaica believe the female game continues to haemorrhage from a chronic lack of the basics.
Assistant coaches of the Women's Under-17 and Under-20 teams, Xavier Gilbert and Merron Gordon, both agree that female football suffers from a combination of too few competitions, poor infrastructer, late exposure to the fundamentals of the game and a lack of will at various levels to drive the game.
Gordon, who is currently with the Under-20 Reggae Girlz in Panama for the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying finals, says a testament of the inadequate grassroots programme repeats itself when players come to the national set-up lacking the basic technical skills.
"I don't think that a player called to the national set-up should come there and can't pass or control the ball... when you come to the national level, I think it's time for tactical and mental work, but when you get girls coming to the national system and you have to spend 90 per cent of your sessions teaching them to pass and control, then tactical work is going to be short," said the coach of the successful schoolgirl team of Clarendon's Lennon High School.
Failure, he posits, will be the inevitable outcome when a team's shortcomings are compounded by tactical inadequacies. "When you go to international competitions and you have short tactical work, you are more likely to lose," he said.
Gordon, who is doubling as equipment manager for the team here operating on a tight budget, said with a solid foundation from the grassroots up, national coaches would be in better positions to prepare teams for competitions in the face of all the difficulties that face the women's version of the game in Jamaica.
"If we can prepare the girls with the basic things, then when they come to the national level it would be an easier job for the coaching staff and we would then be more likely to qualify for a major tournament, so the development part of the football is very important," said the four-time ISSA schoolgirl all-island champion coach.
Gordon, who also coached Lennon's daCosta Cup team to the final of the rural tournament back in 2010, said that exposure to proper coaching methods and practices for young male and female players should start prior to or at the primary school level as it's common for players to get their first taste of organised football at the high school stage.
"I would like to take it a little further and say we need to go deeper than the high school and start to develop at the primary level," he told the Sunday Observer from the team's Continental Hotel and Casino base located in the heart of the Panama capital.
In support of his point, Gordon pointed out that the players of arguably the most gifted of Jamaican women's teams had their baptism at the primary school level. "The best team that I believe that Jamaica had was the 2006 team and those girls were playing primary school football coming right up and that's why we had that talented bunch, but since then the primary level football has been up and down, especially in the rural areas," he said.
"It has been about two or three years now since we have not had a primary school competition for females... so if we start at the grassroots level up, then we will get there," said Gordon.
He also supports the idea that the parish associations should become more involved in the women's game as part of their overall programme as their input or the lack thereof could prove critical one way or another.
"If the parishes take the football more seriously at the grassroots level, then the schools will benefit, and if it doesn't go in that direction, it will always be like this," noted Gordon.
The Physical Education teacher at Lennon said while the high school competition is a source of motivation for the young players, the club league has not been able to inspire optimum performance.
"Unlike schoolgirl football when the girls are playing for scholarships and whatever, in the Sherwin Williams competition, I don't think the girls are motivated because they are basically not playing for anything because we don't have a senior team.
"We don't have girls getting contracts to go abroad to play, so they just basically come and play for fun. If we can organise a senior women's team, I think the local Premier League will get better," said the coach of Los Perfectos' women's team, who in their 2010 debut season won three titles, including the Sherwin Williams Premier League.
Meanwhile, Gilbert's call for more women's competitions resonates with relevance as that's the trend of countries within the CONCACAF region, where three of the world's top teams are located in the number one-ranked USA, Mexico and Canada.
"There are certainly not enough competitions for the girls... apart from the schoolgirl and club competitions that last for a few months, there is no real structured competition for the girls to harness their talent and improve themselves outside of that," said the coach of Excelsior High and Waterhouse FC women's teams.
Gilbert, who won the premier schoolgirl competitions back-to-back in 2005, 2006 and 2007, noted that a lack of support — corporate and otherwise — has seen the discontinuation of leagues and the perishing of ideas aimed at improving the game.
"KSAFA tried with Under-17 and Under-20 Five-a-Side competitions, which I thought was a step in the right direction, but even that has faded away although we got some good participation and I think we need more competitions like these.
"Even though that was not a full 11-a-side competition, it could keep the girls active... we need more structured avenues for the girls as not many parents are going to allow their girl children to go out on the streets to play with the boys, while the boys will get away with that," said Gilbert, who has a Women's National Premier League title under his belt with Waterhouse in 2008.
Gilbert, who assists head coach Vin Blaine with the national women's teams, noted that women's football needs a big lift and said World Cup qualification success could be the ideal thing.
"People would say that Jamaicans are bandwagonists, but if we definitely go to the World Cup more people would definitely come on board as they would now believe, and at the end of the day sponsors would want to get their mileage and we understand that," he ended.
The Under-20 Girlz were at press time last night getting ready to face destiny when they tackle Canada in a do-or-die CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match at the Romel Fernandez Stadium. The Jamaicans' hopes of advancing to the semi-finals of the championship suffered a setback when they were defeated 3-1 by Mexico in their opening match on Thursday night.
Jamaica, which has successfully qualified men's teams to all FIFA World Cup levels, is still to get a women's team to the global stage.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/J-can-coaches-say-Women-s-game-lacks-basics_10948314#ixzz1oKjIG3Tn

[Mac]

Bubbly Girlz catch eyes of college scouts

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Bubbly-Girlz-catch-eyes-of-college-scouts_10959117#ixzz1oKkHsOKn



Bubbly Girlz catch eyes of college scouts
Sean Williams
Tuesday, March 06, 2012

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Even though they may not be the stars of the show here, members of Jamaica's Reggae Girlz team have caught the eyes and interests of a number of USA-based university and college scouts.

Heading the list is the team's captain and midfield maestro Trudi Carter, who attends the Jamaican inner-city Trench Town High School. Also in demand is the USA-based quartet of midfielder Carla Daniels (Butler Community College), defender Shanyce Shaw (Southeastern Louisiana University), forward Marlo Sweatman (Flint High School), and winger Chinyelu Asher (Purdue University).

Due to the fact that only initial contact has been made so far regarding the Girlz, and in some cases more than one school has shown an interest in a player, the names of the interested educational institutions have not been revealed.

Head coach Vin Blaine, however, has confirmed that contact has been made through him and parents of the players in question.

"We have had enquiries for Carter, Daniels, Asher, Sweatman and Shaw. Some of these players are in college already... but the ones open now are for Daniels, Carter and Sweatman and it shows that without (winning) championships, the girls benefit as they get the exposure at this level," said Blaine yesterday, just an hour before the Girlz kicked off their final game of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying play-offs against Haiti.

Scouts from USA-based universities were forced to take a serious look at the Jamaican girls after their commendable performances in defeats to Mexico (3-1) and Canada (2-0) in Group A of the championship.
According to Blaine, immediately after the opening contest against Mexico, enquiries started to pour in for the towering Sweatman.

Other members of the squad attending educational institutions in North America are homegrown goalkeeper Sashagay Spence (Harum College), defender Nugene Nugent (Navarro College), USA-raised striker Kimberly Spence (Auburn University), and Harvard University-bound midfielder Alika Keene.

Over the years, the women's football programme has been the launching pad for getting many young Jamaicans into the realms of higher education on athletic scholarships.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Bubbly-Girlz-catch-eyes-of-college-scouts_10959117#ixzz1oKkHsOKn

[Mac]

Foreign-based soccer parents share big dreams for Girlz


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Foreign-based-soccer-parents-share-big-dreams-for-Girlz_10958891#ixzz1oKkrEayE


Foreign-based soccer parents share big dreams for Girlz
SEAN WILLIAMS With the U-20 GIRLZ in Panama

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Parents of Jamaica's overseas-based Reggae Girlz are caught between two emotions regarding the state of the women's game in Jamaica.

The concerned group of about six sets of parents, some of whom are here for the ongoing CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship, have expressed delight at the showing of the Girlz, but equally they were unreserved in their criticism of the general lack of support for women's football in Jamaica.

"First of all, I was very proud of their performance as they did extremely well at times in both games (Mexico and Canada), and primarily in the one against Canada, which I thought they were outstanding for the entire game," said Christopher Patterson, father of central defender Toriana Patterson.

"I was disappointed though when I reflected on the game and how close the girls were in my mind in qualifying for Japan and how beneficial that would have been for them educationally and from a social perspective," said the former Wolmer's Boys student.

Patterson, an accountant in the USA, said it's hard not to imagine what could have been achieved if more energy was thrown behind the programme of the Under-20s, who were eliminated after losses to powerhouses Mexico (3-1) and Canada (2-0).

"I thought that if they had more preparation, more commitment by the Jamaica Football Federation, the girls could have performed better... I know what the preparation is in Canada and the USA because I have been around soccer for 10 years and I am also familiar with the girls on the Canadian team and the colleges they go to and I know that they are experienced and train for 11 months out of a 12-month year," he told the Observer from the Continental Hotel and Casino in the Panama capital.

Patterson said it would be a shame if these girls did not get the opportunity of self-actualisation with their God-given talent.

"The girls are very talented, and as you know, we have a lot of raw athletic talent and skills in Jamaica, but those skills need to be honed over time and the girls need all the commitment from the country so that they can get to the next level," he noted.

Apart from the action on the field, Patterson has found support from other parents here that women's football has its role in upgrading the decaying social fabric in Jamaica, therefore government and corporate society have a responsibility to act in a sustained manner.

"I think socially and from an educational standpoint it's important for our girls to do well... to get an opportunity of a free education, to travel around the States with their team... so it goes way beyond just football. It has been proven in the US that girls around soccer or who play soccer do better academically and are less inclined for teen pregnancy," said Patterson, who also travelled to Cuba and the Dominican Republic for the Caribbean rounds of the World Cup qualifiers.

Sergeant Ed Sweatman of the US Army and the father of striker/midfielder Marlo Sweatman, said in his mind a lot went down the drain with the elimination of the Girlz, but also gave rise to a need to critically look at what caused the team to fail after demonstrating so much potential.

"I was pleased with the work ethics that the girls put into it... when I woke up this morning (Sunday) and thought about it, I got a bit angry because I realised that they were perhaps 15 minutes away from creating history, and perhaps the reason they missed it was because they didn't have the support to make that last 15 minutes, they have on their own carried themselves for 75 minutes... maybe if Jamaican corporations were behind them, today we would be talking possibly about Jamaican history," he noted.

Sweatman, who is here with his Jamaican-born wife Beverly, said he's confident that there is a future for women's football in Jamaica.

"I know that there is a future for women's football for Jamaica based on what I have seen. I know that my daughter will come back to finish what she started here... I am here only to support my daughter, but the other girls who are on this team could give inspiration to the other girls in Jamaica that so much more is achievable by putting forth the effort," he said.

Personally, Ed Sweatman said he's grateful that his American-born daughter was given a tremendous opportunity through the national football programme to reconnect with her Jamaican roots in a way she never had before.

"My dad was in the Air Force and I travelled a lot around the world, so I got to learn about different cultures, so I am really glad that Marlo had the opportunity to see where and learn about where her mom comes from, and maybe this will allow her to understand her mom a little bit more," he said on Sunday.

"There is more than just the United States and there is a whole world out there and I want her to experience it and I am happy that she has an opportunity to do it with Jamaica," Sweatman added.

The parents of these overseas-born players have formed a group and communicate regularly on matters related to the team, and it was from one of these brainstorming sessions they all decided that they would cover the air travel costs for their kids to go to Jamaica for a four-day training camp in preparation for the current CONCACAF tournament.

"I am a sergeant in the USA Army and I don't make a lot of money, so this is a sacrifice for myself and my wife, but we are committed because we believe it's a worthwhile cause... we don't do this on a whim because we fly down to Panama and stay in hotel, because financially this hurts, but we realise that the return on that investment is going to be huge, not only for my daughter, but for all the girls growing up in Jamaica who feel they have no alternatives," said Sweatman.

Roy McCatty, father of another team regular Adriana Johnson who could not make this trip due to school commitments, said he and his wife Claudette had to bear the pain with their daughter as they watched the Girlz lose agonisingly late in the match against Canada as they appeared poised for an upset.

"Claudette and I watched both games in their entirety. Adrie was very disappointed that she wasn't able to make the trip and had a hard time watching the entire games. Although she has some very close friends on her high school team, she has told me more than once that she prefers playing for her country and has more fun doing so," McCatty said via an email response yesterday.

McCatty, who played first-class cricket for Jamaica before moving to Canada and then the USA, said whenever his daughter plays for Jamaica, she wears the nation's colours with pride.

"As you may know, 'Adrie' was born in Canada and moved to the United States in 2002. She is now a naturalised Jamaican and she is very proud of that. She is very proud and excited to wear the Black, Green and Gold uniform and wears her Jamaica shorts and shirt at every opportunity," he said.

McCatty says while Adriana has been a regular at camps staged by the Olympic Development Programme (ODP) in the USA where parents have to pay for their children to attend, she has learnt far more since her inclusion in the national Jamaica set-up.

"Adrie learned far more at the camp at Mona than she learned at any of the ODP camps and you know which of those camps did not cost the player?" he asked.

McCatty believes the women's programme will continue to be starved of corporate support until it works out a way to raise income for itself, but certainly in a structured way with the blessing of the governing body of the sport, the JFF.

"The women's programme should start finding ways to earn monies and build their own account and could start by linking up with the Jamaica Tourist Board and/or travel agents to promote combination soccer camps and family vacation during the Spring, Summer and Christmas seasons. Parents could come down to Jamaica with their daughters and enjoy a great vacation, while their daughters attend soccer camps run by some of the best coaches available anywhere," he said.

The other foreign-raised players in the team, who were down to face Haiti yesterday in their final match of the tournament, are Kimberly Spence, Shanyce Shaw, Chinyelu Asher, Taylor Grant and Alika Keene.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Foreign-based-soccer-parents-share-big-dreams-for-Girlz_10958891#ixzz1oKkrEayE

[Jangle]

Mac, you are fighting a one-man battle here. You noticed not even one comment to your post. The women's program can be scrapped and the little money it cost be diverted to the men's youth programs. The farce of Jamaican women football needs to stop. "JAMAICA'S" women football is akin to WI women cricket ----absolutely no interest from John Public.

[Skeng DX]

I think it is compulsory ie you must have a female program