Reflection on football

[Assasin]

Just reflection on how far we have come in the last 15 years in football. Give thanks to Burrell and his dream, Simoes, Carl Brown and all the players who put Jamaica on the football map. We have gotten to the big dance and that has been a worthwhile accomplishment and since then our football has grown. We oftenly come on the forum with our disgust of all the things that has gone wrong( and many has) but Jamaica has continue to grow in the football world with professional footballers in England, The Nordic, Scotland, Ireland, Vietnam, USA, Canada, Belgium, El Salvador, and other places. There are also now more players attending college in the USA and although we could double the amount our achievement in there to show as Jamaica had the leading and second leading scorers In NCAA division college soccer. We often talk about the state of the NPL but with so many players abroad and many of the youngsters going to college what do we expect. Sometimes we wonder why NPL is not looking better but look on the amount of players who have left in the last 3 years.

Currently we have a wide pool of player to choose from and that doesn’t include the young signed kids and the Jamaican born kids plying their trade for some big club in England. Looking back in the last 15 years we have certainly grown. The fact is we have to develop the players at a younger age because we need to get some talented ones out as early a possible but if you ask me we are not currently doing a bad job.

Now the New Digicel Kick start program is something that should be supported and a step in the right direction, I must say give thanks for the work of people like Craig Butler, Freddie Butler, Andre Virtue, Mosiah, and his team amongst others who are working hard to make Jamaica and Jamaican youth more successful. Give thanks to some of the forumites who do their little thing and don’t be despair, reggae boys going to shock the world soon again.

[Muadib]

Mosiah ?

Mi tink a serious ting yuh was ah chat... great sarcasm doh.. had me fooled !!

[Karl]

Sass? Sass?

Just reflection on how far we have come in the last 15 years in football. Give thanks to Burrell and his dream, Simoes, Carl Brown and all the players who put Jamaica on the football map. We have gotten to the big dance and that has been a worthwhile accomplishment and since then our football has grown. We oftenly come on the forum with our disgust of all the things that has gone wrong( and many has) but Jamaica has continue to grow in the football world with professional footballers in England, The Nordic, Scotland, Ireland, Vietnam, USA, Canada, Belgium, El Salvador, and other places. There are also now more players attending college in the USA and although we could double the amount our achievement in there to show as Jamaica had the leading and second leading scorers In NCAA division college soccer. We often talk about the state of the NPL but with so many players abroad and many of the youngsters going to college what do we expect. Sometimes we wonder why NPL is not looking better but look on the amount of players who have left in the last 3 years.

Currently we have a wide pool of player to choose from and that doesn’t include the young signed kids and the Jamaican born kids plying their trade for some big club in England. Looking back in the last 15 years we have certainly grown. The fact is we have to develop the players at a younger age because we need to get some talented ones out as early a possible but if you ask me we are not currently doing a bad job.

Now the New Digicel Kick start program is something that should be supported and a step in the right direction, I must say give thanks for the work of people like Craig Butler, Freddie Butler, Andre Virtue, Mosiah, and his team amongst others who are working hard to make Jamaica and Jamaican youth more successful. Give thanks to some of the forumites who do their little thing and don’t be despair, reggae boys going to shock the world soon again.

The same type letter could be written about Jamaica's 'progress'. The question: Are you satisfied with "how far we have come"...how far our country has come/developed?

No?!
...well if "no"...that is the same way some of us feel about the Jamaica football 'player product'. Just not satisfied with 'how far we have come'.

We need no excuses. We need a 'rolling up of our sleves', dispassionate look at the quality players, quality clubs and national teams we are producing and 'just do' ( whatever it takes - assess quality of our products - players and teams - as per standing on 'world markets' and improve same to TOP OF THE WORLD standards or at the very least top quality such that both - players and teams - are in those markets accorded place as TOP OF THE WORLD quality. No excuses! ...or patting selves on backs and digging in on mediocrity or worse 'bottom dwellers'!!!

Aftah haul -wi a suhmadi pickney tuh! Wi nuh fool-fool! We can do!
FORWARD!

[Assasin]

No Karl. Jamaican progress is based on GDP and economics while Jamaica's football team will be judged on the products and the team. So far we have improved the product or the marketing 100%. For a country that had not one professional player in 1996 to having more than 60 right now, can't even compare.

[Karl]

No Karl. Jamaican progress is based on GDP and economics while Jamaica's football team will be judged on the products and the team. So far we have improved the product or the marketing 100%. For a country that had not one professional player in 1996 to having more than 60 right now, can't even compare.

Are you satisfied?
If not, what must be done?!

[Muadib]

Yuh need to question the poor performance of yuh peeps more.. dat is what must be done..

[Karl]

Yuh need to question the poor performance of yuh peeps more.. dat is what must be done..

No politriks here!

[Assasin]

Sometimes we have to reflect and say thanks and move forward.
We can't just beat down everyday.

We need fi measure improvement somehow, not that you are satified but you have recognised that we are in a better position than a few years ago.

I still remember when I went to college and a tell mi fellow ballas bout ball and mi Croatian fren ask me "what Jamaica know bout ball? They ever made one world cup yet?". We have come a long way.

[Karl]

Sometimes we have to reflect and say thanks and move forward.
We can't just beat down everyday.

No beat down, boss.

We have come a long way.

Agreed...FULL 100!

[Stonigut]

Interesting thoughts! But I will tell you what an old manager of mine used to tell me, build processes not events, everything you described are type of events, one time things or driven by one or two people so when they disappear there contribution disappears.

How do we build structures and processes with historical continuity, look at our track and field system we have built a system over 100 years that keeps producing regardless of who may be at the helm and it is the proces that is driving the train the last piece of that puzzle may be solved if MVP and racers have continuity after their key players go, we know there will always be a calabar, a jc a kc a vere a knox a Munro as long as there is a Jamaica in present form! The real continuity in our institutions of track and field have their base in these institutions oh a".....George's, Wolmers! Cyan leave them out, man dem get vex.

The mantra assassin is constant improvement, we have all the raw capabilities what we are talking about is building a proces that is about constant improvement and measurement, that is all, there is no negative, we are what we are and right now we produce good third division players, a few good 2nd division players and the occasional mid tier premier league player, that is where we are, bottom line no lie, no twist, no hide up business, can do better and that is what we going to try and do!!!!!

[Muadib]

but ah you start it....

Jamaica has a political problem.. that is what separates it from say.. Barbados..

[Assasin]

The dream always start from a few people. Right now this board is not even a Jamaican football board. Check the posts. It is same way with the soccer fans. The fact is other people are getting involved and the thing is evolving. A few years ago all the players went through one agent who was not even Jamaican. Now thing s change. Players are no longer just waiting on JFF to get contract.

People are working, people like Craig Bulter doing his thing and has placed a lot of youth, Freddie Butler doing his thing and picking up a dw players and TSA has had some players going abroad. Have you checked out the Digicel grassroot program??? This alone will help improve our players at the community level.

There is no way we are going to turn out EPL players, it is more likely the players are going to go into League one and and Championship and if they are good enough it is up to them to work their way into premiership.

Check out how Paul Campbell totally improved our standard of goalkeeping and now we have 4 pros, one played in European Champions league, he also left a program in place. That is achievement. With the numbers we are getting in decent league we are more likely to see more of our players in top league in 5 years time.

Development is not a straight line and especially places like Jamaica but as we improve the standards it will get better. I am not saying we should and can't do a lot more but we have done well for our size and sometimes we need to appreciate that before can really move forward.

[Assasin]

Karl take the forum for example, the only thing talk is the negitives today.

With a little encouragement and suppport we can reach a far way.

[Stonigut]

Nice, good information, let's see how that develops would love to see that replicated in a way that the knowledge is also shared so that others can start doing the same. Was in Norman Manley that said we are a nation of samples. That is true because our weakness is developing processes to crank out high quality of any product or service in mass.

[Assasin]

I personally commend the Digicel grassroot program. From what I read it goes into each parish and send some time with local coaches then deal with 6-12 year old and is trying to work with the association. I think this is why they cut their NPL sponsorship and is working with the JFF on this. I have asked for a national academy like structure and this is a start.

Big up Digicel and the JFF for launching this.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...today_11451213