Locals off to Brazil coaching course

[Jangle]

This is what I'm talking about. We got to improve the teachers of the game.

Locals off to Brazil coaching course

BY LIVINGSTON SCOTT Observer staff reporter
Sunday, July 01, 2012

ELEVEN Advanced Level Two coaches left the island yesterday to embark on a one-week coaching course from July 1-9 in Brazil.

The announcement was made by general secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Horace Reid, at the presentation of certificates for the first FIFA Women's Coaching Course at the Federation's offices yesterday.
REID... this is a great opportunity for our coaches to improve on what they have learnt in the past



REID... this is a great opportunity for our coaches to improve on what they have learnt in the past

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The course will be conducted by the Traffic Football Academy on behalf of the JFF and will have lecturers from Sao Paolo University.
Reid noted that Trinidad and Tobago coach Jamaal Shabaaz, Grenada's head coach Lester Smith and Guyana's coach Wayne Dover will be among the participants.
The local contingent includes Andrew Price of Boys' Town, Marcel Gayle of Waterhouse, Junior Francis of Reno, National Under-20 coach Andrew Edwards, Portmore's Geoffrey Hewitt and Calvin Lewis, Nigel Stewart and Vassell Reynolds of Sporting Central Academy, Tivoli's Alvin Shaw, David Price of Volvo FC and Harbour View's Harold Thomas.
The JFF had extended an open invitation to all Premier League clubs and coaches with Advanced Level Two certification.
Reid revealed that the coaches will only be responsible for their airfare as all other expenses, which is estimated to be about $4 million, will be covered by the JFF.
"The coaches will pay for their air tickets, but the JFF will be responsible for accommodations, meals, ground transport and lecturers' fees," said the veteran administrator.
Reid was also upbeat about the trip, saying he believes it will produce remarkable results for the country's football.
"I am very confident that they will return in another week... more equipped and with greater knowledge that will eventually benefit our football development," he said.
He noted that the game is constantly evolving and it was important local football keeps abreast of the latest modifications in the game.
"This is a great opportunity for our coaches to improve on what they have learnt in the past," Reid added.
The sessions will be conducted by experienced world-class presenters, most of whom are lecturers at Sao Paolo University.
The group will include technical director Professor Dr Walter Gama and former Jamaica technical director Reno Simoes.
Reid stated that this has been in the pipeline for some time and now that it has come to fruition, it is a major step in the developmental thrust that the JFF has undertaken.
While in Brazil, the coaches will deal with a wide range of topics such as football organisation and management, tactics, nutrition, player recruitment, development and transition to professional careers, physiology control, psychological aspects in football, football game skills and goalkeeping.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1zNzAowra

[Jangle]

Local women gain certification at FIFA course

Livingston Scott
Sunday, July 01, 2012

FORTY participants at the first ever FIFA Women's Football Coaching Course to be held in Jamaica were presented with their certificates at the JFF office on Friday.

The course, which has be hailed as a huge success, took place June 25-28 and was conducted by Italian FIFA ambassador for women's football, Carolina Morace.
MORACE... the interest is growing



MORACE... the interest is growing


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According to general secretary Horace Reid, what was most satisfying about the course was that for the first time, more women than men participated and were certified.
FIFA ambassador Morace, who first visited Jamaica last year for the inaugural FIFA Women's Symposium, had expressed a desire to continue working with the local programme, and Reid was especially pleased with her return.
"We're very happy FIFA has funded her return... and we're hoping courses of this nature will widen the pool of female coaches," he told the audience.
Reid said in a few weeks' time, the inaugural National U-15 Girls competition, sponsored by FIFA, will get underway and regulations have been put in place to ensure increased female participation in coaching and managing teams.
"In this competition, one of the coaches must be female and the manager of the team must be female... the drive is to try and get more women involved in the sport because we believe they have a lot to offer if women's football is to reach to the level that it potentially can...
"It is going to be very important that more females participate in the sport," he declared.
"In our two grassroots programme which has gone to St Thomas and Portland, I've seen a number of young girls between the ages of six and 12 participating.
"This is something we believe, in the long term, will yield more fruits in getting a lot more females involved in female football," he said.
National Senior Women's Coach Vin Blaine was also encouraged by the increased turnout of females for the course and believes this will also benefit the national programme in years to come.
"The encouraging thing for me was that they had about 80 per cent women... and the interest is growing," he said.
"More women will enhance the sport because coaching a female team has some emotional aspects to it and women understand each other better than men...," he added.
Morace said the participants were open and interesting, but stated that this was just the beginning.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1zO1csrTO

[Jangle]

Jamaican referees complete elite course in Florida

Published: Monday | July 2, 2012 0 Comments


Referees Campbell (left) and Morgan.





Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer SUNRISE, [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Florida[/COLOR][/COLOR] (USA):
Three of Jamaica's top football match officials were among the best of the best who completed a four-day course involving elite referees from the CONCACAF region here last week.
Referees Courtney Campbell and Kevin Morrison, plus assistant Ricardo Morgan, joined colleagues from throughout Central America, North America and the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Caribbean[/COLOR][/COLOR] region to brush up on the laws of the game and test their physical fitness.
Peter Prendergast, chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation Referees Committee and a former FIFA World Cup match official, also participated in the course as an instructor.
According to the referees, who were selected based on their performance in the local leagues, the course served to sharpen their skills.
"It opens your eyes," said Campbell, Jamaica's only elite referee, on Saturday's final day.
Campbell, who has officiated close to 100 international games, called the course challenging, with the emphasis on doing everything well.
"If you fail one part of the course, then it's no use for you being here," he explained." So we have to pass the entire course, both in the classroom, as it relates to laws, and on the pitch as it relates to fitness."
Eyes int'l spot
Campbell is hoping to eventually get a spot among the pool of international referees designated for the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil. Morgan is already part of that group as an assistant referee. However, selection to the pool is still open, with referees able to earn - and lose - their place base on performances leading up to the game's biggest showcase. However, each Jamaican had a varying reasons for participation in last week's course.
"Different purposes," explained Prendergast, Referees Assistant Programme instructor for FIFA, football's world governing body.
"First of all, it is an elite referees' course and Courtney (Campbell) is here as one of the elite referees. Ricardo (Morgan) is here because he's a part of the World Cup shortlisted trio ... . And Kevin is here primarily because we are introducing an exchange with the NASL league and he is here to officiate in the game (Saturday night). So (we are) exposing him to what the elite referees look like, and how we operate, and the opportunity to officiate in the game."
Morrison officiated in a North American Soccer League (NASL) game between Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Carolina Railhawks at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The assignment was part of a programme launched by CONCACAF, which allows referees from outside North America to officiate games there in a league with Caribbean teams and vice versa. Morrison's performance was evaluated by course participants and referee assessors. He believes the course has boosted his development.
"It exposes you to a higher level of learning," said Morrison, "in the sense that you've seen things that you need to do.
"One of the things that happened in this course is that they are stressing on consistency. One of the key points in refereeing is positioning and movement, in that you have to create angles; and in creating angles you can be able to make the best, or not the best, but the correct decision at the right time. And that is refereeing."
Key additional benefit
According to Campbell, being able to integrate with top CONCACAF officials has a key additional benefit.
"We find ourselves among the best of the best in CONCACAF," he said. "That's the reason we are here. We have competitions like the World Cup Qualifying, we have the (CONCACAF) Champions League coming up and we want to ensure that all the referees in CONCACAF, who are going to officiate in these games, are speaking the same language."
"Bear in mind that this is the cream of the crop," added Prendergast. "So the expertise that would have been attained by the referees from the different countries around the region, it is necessary for them to take this back into their own countries to help the development of the up and coming referees."

[Jangle]

Eye-opener for J'can coaches in Brazil

By Andrew Edwards
Wednesday, July 04, 2012

AFTER almost 20 hours of travel, 14 of the 15 registered coaches arrived at the Traffic Academy in Porto Feliz, Sao Paulo, Brazil at approximately 10:30 am local time (8:30 am Jamaica time) on Sunday.

Lester Smith of Grenada was expected to arrive some time the following day. Present on the course are Andrew Edwards, National U-20 men's coach; Andrew Price, technical director Boys' Town FC; Junior Francis, Reno FC; Laurence Garriques, UTech; Jeffrey Hewitt and Calvin Lewis of Red Stripe Premier League champions Portmore; Harold Thomas of Harbour View; David Pryce of Volvo; Marcel Gayle of Waterhouse; Alvin Shaw of Tivoli FC; Vassel Reynolds and Nigel Stewart of Sporting Central; and Jamaal Shabazz and Wayne Dover of Guyana's National Football team.

Coaches (front row from left) Jamaal Shabazz, Laurence Garriques, Calvin Lewis, Junior Francis, Marcel Gayle, Jeffrey Hewitt and Wayne Dover; (Back row from left) Alvin Shaw, David Pryce, Andrew Edwards, Andrew Price, Vassell Reynolds, Nigel Stewart and Harold Thomas pose shortly after arriving at the Traffic Football Academy in Brazil.


Gayle, Jeffrey Hewitt and Wayne Dover; (Back row from left) Alvin Srice, Vassell Reynolds, Nigel Stewart and Harold Thomas pose shortly after arriving at the Traffic Football Academy in Brazil.

After lunch the course got off to a sprightly start. Professor Walter Gama, technical director of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), welcomed the participants to the course, Traffic Academy and Brazil.

Gam postulated that "Knowledge and Discipline" shall be the slogan for the course, which represents the critical areas of focus he wishes to develop among participants.

Daniel Gama, one of the co-ordinators, led the opening lecture, introducing participants to the course content, expectations and materials.
He outlined the structure which covers topics ranging from theoretical and practical frameworks of new perspectives in coaching, training and intervention based on science and didactic observations of training sessions and matches.

The instructors will include experienced football professionals and sport science researchers. Among those slated to give lectures/presentations are Professor Walter Gama, Daniel Gama, Rodolfo Canavesi, Marcio Amoroso, Nivaldo Baldo, Ana Maria Pellegrini, Lucas G`oes, Anderson Gongora, Marcella Cesar, Victorino Freire, Rene Simoes, Fabio Matias, Renato Molina, Emerson Viera Marinho, Clovis Alberto Franciscon, and Anahy Couto.

Although suffering from obvious jet-lag, lethargy and sheer exhaustion, the cadre of coaches in attendance exhibited plenty of grit, determination and zeal to optimise this opportunity for personal development and by extension the development of Jamaica's football. In the words of Andrew Price, "the experience thus far has been very good, the camaraderie amongst the coaches excellent".

Price also said "the course content is very interesting" and that he found the first presentation done by Rodolfo Canavesi to be "very thought-provoking and a testament to how far behind we (Jamaica) are in terms of football development".

David Pryce of Volvo FC claimed: "Thus far this has been a great eye-opener in terms of presentation and professional football. I am glad for the exposure to the Traffic Academy environment and experience, and to see first-hand a world-class football facility."

He also said he is anxiously looking forward to the remainder of the course.

In describing the first day interactions, Daniel Gama opined that "the group is a very committed one, showing plenty of interest, attentiveness and desire to learn". He sees this as "a great opportunity for both the participants and the co-ordinators to learn from each other as we all seek to improve our respective (football) communities".

The course promises to be an excellent experience for all the participants. Already discussions are heating up about commercialisation of and in the sport and professional football. A quote from Rodolfo Canavesi: "Traffic Sports exist not for the love of football, but because someone realised that it is good business, articulates fully where I believe those of us involved with the game locally needs to focus our energies."

Eye-opener for J'can coaches in Brazil</SPAN>

• star
• Brazilians arrive - Gama promises new...</SPAN>

[Jangle]

JFF is on the right road. This is one of the main steps towards our football development. I would love to see them continuing to send more coaches overseas for development courses like these, maybe to USA and Mexico or to other SA countries like Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

[Assasin]

when mi tell unnu recently that the JFF trying some good things, glad you see one a them. Take a look on the current Digicel program at the grassroot level. If the FAs can take advantage and don't let badmind get in the way it will improve the quality of players in each parish.

[Jangle]

Simoes passes ball to local coaches in Brazil

BY ANDREW EDWARDS
Monday, July 09, 2012

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Writing these reports has suddenly become overwhelming (not that I am complaining). There is so much material/information to be absorbed, retained and then chopped and carved to see how best we can apply it (knowledge) to our particular situations.

The wealth of knowledge being received is so intoxicating that all of us participating on the course are assiduously absorbing all that we possibly can.
Professor Rene Simoes (right) shares the frame with (from left) Jamaica’s technical director Walter Gama and National Under-20 coach Andrew Edwards at the Traffic Football Academy in Porto Felix, Brazil, recently.

res the frame with (from left) Jamaica’s technical director Walter Gama and National Under-20 coach Andrew Edwards at the Traffic Football Academy in Porto Felix, Brazil, recently.

The lectures, whilst superficially not speaking to topics/concepts that are foreign to us as coaches, have all presented new, scientific, quantitative and qualitative approaches to the application of previously known knowledge. This is important, we believe, if we are going to affect purposeful and meaningful changes to football development, particularly coaching in the Caribbean and specifically Jamaica.

To see the science behind the performance of world-rated play and players is simply astounding. So much so, that the most common comment heard among participants is that, "we are magicians/miracle workers making blood from stones in Jamaica." This, against the comparison in physical infrastructure, human resources deployed, financial investment and scientific research application.

Since arriving at the Traffic Academy in Porto Feliz, Brazil not even blindness could obscure the disparity between football, broadly speaking, in the Caribbean and Brazil. At Traffic there are five full fields and two half-fields (for goalkeepers' training), accommodations for 200 athletes, 55 permanent members of staff and all the amenities that can be found at any five-star hotel in Jamaica. The playing surfaces all make our National Stadium field look severely substandard.

By comparison, Sao Paulo FC's (SPFC) Academy, where former Technical Director of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Professor Rene Simoes, is the recently appointed Technical Director of Development, makes Traffic appear at an even lower level. The SPFC Academy facility has nine full fields and another nine sub-fields for various purposes (Goalkeeper training, Futsol, Beach soccer, employees recreation). Here, each age group team, for example U-14, has its own field and training room. There are also dorms separate from a hotel, restaurant and so much more. The SPFC Academy employs 181 persons and caters to approximately 400 players under 20-years-old. SPFC also has an equally super facility for their senior/professional players.

In addition to the permanent staff employed at both facilities there are numerous other persons employed in consultant capacities. These include university researchers in areas such as Motor Behaviour and Football, Psychology, Nutrition and Statistical Analysis.

In his usual inimitable way, Professor Simoes made a presentation to the group on "player recruitment, development and transition to professional careers". The presentation was simply mind-blowing. It revealed the science applied to recruiting players from as early as eight-years-old, developing them and forging the transition to full professionals. This is an extremely important aspect of a club such as Sao Paulo, which boasts the largest such academy worldwide, when the financial investments are taken into account and the profit margins calculated. According to Professor Simoes, it costs approximately US$2,500 monthly to develop each player in the academy.

A most noteworthy point made in the presentation was the evaluation of relative ages. Research scientists at SPFC have found that there is great significance in relative age. For example, two 14-year-old players — one born in the first quarter (January to March), the other in the third (July to September), or fourth quarter (October to December) of the year. There are significantly more professional footballers born in the third and fourth quarters of the year. The significance becomes even more noticeable when the data become position (goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, forward) specific. This kind of information is now being used to drive investments in players in a deliberate attempt to impact the profit margins.

Lest readers are lead to believe that Brazil is a panacea of perfect football structures let me hasten to clarify. Although we have been based at the Traffic Academy and have only so far been to the SPFC facilities we have seen and have been informed that these are the crème de la crème of Brazillian football facilities. We have on our travels seen fields comparable to those in Jamaica and we reckon that there are significant disparities between facilities, cities and states here in Brazil.

Notwithstanding, we are obligated to recognise the difference between what is crème de la crème in Jamaica versus Brazil, and for that matter other countries around the world including our CONCACAF counterparts. There is no doubting the fact that we all will return home, cognisant of our own reality and constraints, but demanding vast improvements in basic infrastructure.

Through the eyes of Laurence Garriques from UTech, Jamaica, the course has been "very informative thus far". Garriques also stressed: "I am very impressed with the Traffic Academy, the facilities, the level of development of the players compared to players of similar ages in Jamaica. I am also impressed with the scientific application to football and how various sciences are used in the development of football."

Trinidadian Jaamal Shabaz, current Head Coach of the Guyana National Team, exalted the benevolence and leadership of the JFF: "First of all I wish to state that it was a tremendous gesture on the part of the JFF to extend invitations to Caribbean counterparts to participate in such an enlightening and enriching course. The information that we have been getting is so necessary for us as technicians trying to chart a new course for Caribbean football. Hats off to the JFF for showing the way for the emergence of a new Caribbean in football, one that we hope will be focused more on the football on the field than on the turmoil that has grabbed headlines and traumatised us over the last year."

As the course draws closer to its conclusion we all are determined to be successful, first in the certification exercises and definitely in our future coaching endeavours. Certification for this course will be in two categories. Category one will see participants with a less than 60 per cent total average receiving certificates of participation. Those obtaining 60 per cent or more will be awarded certificates of accomplishment.

The course is being assessed as follows:
* Individual and group evaluations (participants are required to do didactic observations of training sessions and matches (televised and live) and complete set tasks, and write an essay — 50 per cent.

* Match reports — 20 per cent; and

* A final test — 30 per cent

In his parting shot, coach Simoes beseeched of me to extend warm wishes and kind regards to all the staff at the JFF and of course the Jamaican people. Using the 1998 World Cup qualifying campaign as his reference, he reminded us as coaches that "living our dreams should be the most important thing, Jamaica qualified for its first World Cup because the people believed in a dream".

Editor's note: Andrew Edwards is a schoolboy and national age-group coach and is among a group of Jamaican coaches in Brazil for instruction.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz208GkUEBO

[Karl]

Nothing before its time.

Interesting to note that the KSFA in the late 60's and the JFRA (Jamaica Football Referees Association) in the 70s started the 'cross-fertilisation' process. The RBSC has been relentessly promoting this type 'JFF activity'/'cross-fertilisation' to the entire 'local football' administrators from many years past!

...the additional steps the RBSC have promoted include 'twinning' of local clubs with top professional clubs, entry by our clubs into credible age-group tournaments that are outside of those organised by CFU, CONCACAF and FIFA...working hand in glove with our local schools and colleges...and more...

Hope the knowledge gained by these coaches is on their return shared...used to upgade/improve our entire football teaching/coaching cadre.

We can do it (get to TOP OF THE WORLD)!
Talent abounds!

[Jangle]

Upbeat coaches return from Brazilian course

By Andrew Edwards
Thursday, July 12, 2012

After a very intense and demanding 80 hours of lectures, practical sessions, didactic training session observations, didactic game observations, visits to training centre facilities and stadium structures, and evaluation meetings, it's now over.

It has been an extremely demanding nine days of non-stop, devoted learning. An enormous volume of information was shared and numerous indelible experiences gained and at the end of it all this past Monday, quite fittingly, all 15 participants — Lester Smith of Grenada, Andrew Edwards, Jamaica National Under-20 men's coach, Andrew Price, technical director of Boys' Town FC, Junior Francis of Reno FC, Laurence Garriques of UTech, Jeffrey Hewitt and Calvin Lewis of Portmore United, Harold Thomas of Harbour View FC, David Pryce of Volvo FC, Marcel Gayle of Waterhouse FC, Alvin Shaw of Tivoli Gardens FC, Vassel Reynolds and Nigel Stewart of Sporting Central Academy, and Jamaal Shabazz and Wayne Dover of Guyana National Football team — successfully earned certificates of achievement.
The 15 participating coaches proudly display their certificates of achievement at the end of the nine-day course in Brazil



The 15 participating coaches proudly display their certificates of achievement at the end of the nine-day course in Brazil


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Without doubt or fear of contradiction all the participants have completed this course on merit and could lead the way for better coaching practices in their respective environments.
Calvin Lewis, coach of the 2011-2012 Premier League champions Portmore United FC shared his perspectives: "I found this course to have been very informative, it has been a real eye opener for me. We now need to, as close as possible, implement and establish a model of what we have seen here in Brazil towards the development of football in Jamaica.
"The experience categorically shows that with good facilities and resources, specialist professionals, and structured organisation, success at the highest level is attainable on a sustained basis. The knowledge and the demonstrations of the aspects of the game as illustrated by the instructors of the Traffic Academy are fantastic. Special thanks to the JFF, the PLCA and Professor Walter Gama for making the dream (football experience in Brazil) a reality."
The nine days of learning and camaraderie helped to build not just discipline and knowledge amongst the participants but also new friendships and networks, and improved individualities and interactions.
Back home the coaches will look forward to applying what they have learned towards the greater good of improving the quality of their own coaching and by extension improve the players they work with. They also look forward to keeping each other honest and up to par with respect to our individual and collective experiences as they endeavour to forge new synergies as coaches.
These past nine days have served to open the proverbial 'Pandora's Box'. The JFF, the PLCA, the clubs and schools from which they come must now brace themselves to facilitate the transitions that their new experiences will necessarily demand. Colleague coaches who were unfortunately unable to make it to this course must now take time to seek from them all they can and are willing to share. They must also begin to make preparations for what will be a new and much improved version of the course next year.
There was very little down time to enjoy other aspects of Brazil outside of football. Notwithstanding, the friendliness, courtesy and cordial demeanour with which the coaches were received at Traffic Academy, Sao Paulo FC, Santos FC, in the malls, at the gas station, in the stadium, in the museum was inexplicably overwhelming.
The director of Traffic Academy Professor Lucas Goes in his closing statements indicated that "(they) the coaches and players, have learned much more, we believe, than you did from the interactions we shared. There is an empty feeling, especially among the players, now that the time has come when you must go. Traffic Academy will always be open and available to you whenever you need us,
just ask."
His statement was followed by an intensely emotional exercise where the Traffic Academy U-15 players, with whom the coaches worked almost always, bade them farewell with Desportiva De Brazil (the name of the affiliated professional club) memorabilia shirts, handshakes and hugs.
There is much more to be said about this course and the experiences of the past 10 days. In due time, for sure, several of the coaches will make presentations to varied groups and organisation.
The JFF, the PLCA and Professor Gama must be credited for the foresight and vision, the wisdom and courage to have made this investment. The onus is now on the coaches to bring back the knowledge and experiences gained to ensure the investment made will be a profitable one.
And while embracing such expectations and the accompanying responsibilities, the coaches are not foolish. They are cognisant of the environment within which they operate and recognise that there are challenges, that there will be new challenges and certainly oppositions to these efforts. Nonetheless they are keen to ensure that their work will be their testimonies.
Editor's note: Andrew Edwards is a schoolboy and National Under-20 football coach and a teacher
at St Elizabeth Technical High School.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz20PtstV6m

[Jangle]

A great disparity!

J’can coaches bemoan frailties in football structure
BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

TERMS such as "miracle workers" and "magicians" are being used to describe Jamaican football coaches after the return of local tacticians from a recent nine-day coaching course in Brazil.

Six of the local participants who addressed the Jamaica Observer's Monday Exchange of reporters and editors at the newspaper's offices yesterday admitted to being excited and awe-struck by the level of infrastructure in Brazil in the various facets of the sport.
Boys’ Town coach Andrew Price (left) speaks at the Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange of reporters and editors at the company’s offices yesterday. Also in picture (from left) are Alvin Shaw of Tivoli Gardens FC; Harold Thomas of Harbour View; Vassell Reynolds of Sporting Central Academy and Marcel Gayle of Waterhouse FC. (Photo: Michael Gordon)



Boys’ Town coach Andrew Price (left) speaks at the Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange of reporters and editors at the company’s offices yesterday. Also in picture (from left) are Alvin Shaw of Tivoli Gardens FC; Harold Thomas of Harbour View; Vassell Reynolds of Sporting Central Academy and Marcel Gayle of Waterhouse FC. (Photo: Michael Gordon)

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The coaches, seemingly energised mentally and physically after their informative sojourn on the South American mainland, sought to describe the disparity between the infrastructural framework in football-mad Brazil and the frustratingly insufficient development here in Jamaica.
At the Traffic Football Academy in Porto Feliz, where the coaches were hosted, the travelling contingent said that there were five full standardised fields that would put some of the island's better playing surfaces to shame.
A visit to the youth arm of Sao Paulo FC created an even bigger "wow" effect, with that club having as many as 15 fields being shared by the different age group teams.
According to them, tremendous focus is put on the development of youngsters from various age groups, while coaches teach basic techniques such as controlling the ball, passing and shooting, as well as goalkeeping.
Vassel Reynolds, a technical committee member at Premier League outfit Sporting Central Academy, called for the more qualified coaches in Jamaica to be involved at the Under-14 level in a bid to limit cases where players entering the national set-up have to be taught the technical basics of the game.
"We need to develop a philosophy in terms of the persons we have coaching at the youth level. Sometimes some of the more inexperienced and unqualified coaches are the most willing to take up coaching at that level. It should be the better coaches guiding these youngsters.
"At the youth level we need to have people who are qualified and experienced. That's where it starts. Oftentimes you hear national coaches complaining that when the youths come to them at age 15-16 they have to be teaching them basics," he said, while adding that the nation has achieved a lot on the world stage, despite the limited resources.
Reynolds also lamented the massive pressure that is applied by parents, schools and other interested bodies in winning championship titles, and its consequent negative impact on youth development.
"Another thing is that at age 10-14 you shouldn't be too concerned about winning titles, but what you find is that there is so much pressure to win titles at the preparatory and primary level and it takes away from the developing of fundamental skills.
"That (development) would make the transition easier for children moving to Under-17 level," the tactician said.
Andrew Price, who guided Boys' Town FC to second-place finishes in the previous two seasons of top-tier club football, noted the over-reliance on high schools in nurturing young talent.
"Here in Jamaica we mostly depend on the daCosta Cup and the Manning Cup (competitions) and the various junior leagues to provide players. In Brazil, if you are talented you register with an academy or a club and then if you are good enough you matriculate through the various levels until you become a professional.
"They don't concentrate on schools to supply the players. Their feeling is that school is where you go to get yourself educated. They get the talented ones into the academies, but ensure a holistic development where the children go to school.
"However, at the academies they concentrate on playing football," said the Boys' Town technical director.
Price charged that lack of sponsorship and funding is a major hindrance to clubs which have realised that investing in youth programmes can bring about rewards on and off the football pitch.
"The development of youngsters should be either at the clubs or at the academies. We don't have any academies of such in Jamaica, so what we are talking about is the clubs dealing with development. That means to get all the age groups — Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20 — and they matriculate throughout, until they become professionals or semi-professionals.
"Not many clubs have that in place, and for that kind of infrastructure the clubs would need sponsorship where they can afford to deal with those situations. It's a worthwhile investment because these players can be sold at a good profit," he said.
The other four coaches who gave their experiences yesterday were Andrew Edwards (national Under-20 assistant coach), Marcel Gayle (Waterhouse FC), Alvin Shaw (Tivoli Gardens FC), and Harold Thomas (Harbour View FC).
The course in Brazil was conducted by Traffic on behalf of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) and exposed coaches to lecture sessions, tactical, psychological, practical and theoretical lessons, as well as evaluation meetings.
While coaches were responsible for their airfare, JFF's chairman of the Technical and Development Committee Howard McIntosh said that an estimated $4 million was paid by the local federation to cover accommodation and other expenses.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz20t7X9CAk

[Assasin]

mi glad them a see the light. I remember talking to Colour a few years ago and tell to look at the ODP program for a starter.

[Jangle]

Roots go deep! JFF exec says Ja-Brazil link beneficial

BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

JAMAICANS have long nurtured a sentimental link with Brazil, but a high-ranking official says the country's football connection with the vast South American nation goes beyond just an affair of the heart.

Howard McIntosh, chairman of the JFF Technical and Development Committee, said the country's seeming fixation on Brazilian technical expertise is actually based on pure prudent business variables. In other words, it's sensible business.
National youth coach Andrew Edwards (left) speaks while JFF Technical and Development Committee chairman Howard McIntosh looks on during the Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange forum on Monday. (Photo: Michael Gordon)



National youth coach Andrew Edwards (left) speaks while JFF Technical and Development Committee chairman Howard McIntosh looks on during the Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange forum on Monday. (Photo: Michael Gordon)

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"Right now, we are working with who works with us and make things happen for us," said a McIntosh, a FIFA development officer for CONCACAF.
"We have had a great relationship (with our friends in Brazil)... one that has benefited us and one that has made it affordable," he added.
Even though some football watchers and commentators have argued that the best technical minds in football exist in Europe, and particularly, the Netherlands, Jamaica remain true to their soft spot for the 'beautiful game' by continuing to employ Brazilian tacticians.
Long after the iconic Brazilian Rene Simoes came and left, and returned again, and was then fired, a number of Brazilian coaches have taken up the reins.
After Simoes' departure following his success in leading the Reggae Boyz to the France 1998 World Cup Finals on his first stint, countryman Clovis De Oliveira and Sebastiao Lazaroni have come and gone.
Today, there is a four-man Brazilian coaching staff led by technical director Professor Walter Gama functioning at critical levels within the technical programme. The others are Gama's son Luciano, assistant senior team coach Professor Alfredo Montesso and goalkeeper coach Armano Bracali.
But the first Brazilian coach to have come to Jamaican shores to take charge of the national team was Jorge Penna back in the 1960s.
"You know, many of us consider ourselves Brazilians and we started out initially and that would be some 18 years ago when we wanted to establish some relationship (with Brazil).
"I remember at the time Captain (Horace) Burrell sitting down with then Prime Minister PJ Patterson telling him that he needed some assistance to help our team in getting a coach and he set out to get a coach from Brazil and we eventually ended up with coach Simoes," said McIntosh, giving a brief background of how the Brazilian coaching roots started to take hold.
Since then, he noted, the country has deepened its relationship with Brazil.
"We have established relationships with a number of entities in Brazil, including Traffic Football Academy; including as an institution Professor Simoes; including an institution in Professor Gama, and the Brazilian Ambassador," said McIntosh in response to a question at the weekly Jamaica Observer's Monday Exchange.
The former banker said he expects the partnership with Brazil to deepen with emerging initiatives, some of which are on the verge of coming to fruition.
"There are many more things being planned in terms of technical with the UWI, the Brazilian government and also the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF)... You see also where we have developed a strategic relationship with Valencia, and we now have one or two players over there and they have sent their coaches here and they have expressed an interest in developing on that relationship," he disclosed.
Just recently, 12 Jamaican coaches returned from Brazil after completing "a mind-boggling" and "eye-opening" course at the Traffic Football Academy, the first of a number of planned courses as the JFF works to develop its coaching as part of a wide-ranging technical infrastructural programme.
"As far back as 2007 we set out on a programme to improve what we call the technical infrastructure in the game, specifically what we are talking about here are the players, the referees, the facilities and coaches.
"The last part of that technical infrastructure is coaching, and it started with a coaching education programme in 2009, and we partnered with the University of Technology as we wanted to institutionalise the coaching... we set about getting a programme based on our analyses of the football and decided we needed to get about 800 to 1,000 coaches properly educated in terms of being able to manage our football from a technical standpoint."
To date, the JMMB/JFF UTech Coaching School has graduated 400 coaches at various levels of competency.
"Part of this coaching education is why we sent these coaches to Brazil. The course itself should have taken place last year, but for various reasons it did not. Essentially, what we want to do is expose coaches to international best practices in coaching, and in so doing you not only want to expose them to coaching techniques and coaching instruction, but you also want to expose them to facilities, and that's the essence of the programme," McIntosh explained.
The programme, he says, was designed by technical director Professor Walter Gama, along with Dr Daniel Gama.
With a JFF mandate that all coaches have to be certified to instruct the game in Jamaica and with the changing face of coaching in the world, the technical infrastructure development programme has given the coaching plank traction.
"Coaching structures have changed in Jamaica as some of the teams that couldn't compete against each other, are now competing primarily because of how the coaches are applying what they have learnt.
"Truth is, things have changed and you have to continue to update yourself with coaching principles and the application of those principles," said McIntosh, popularly known as 'Big Mac' in footballing circles.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz20ynANkcd

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Playing field or pasture? — Coaches say poor surfaces stifling local soccer

BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

SINCE Jamaica’s successful run to the FIFA World Cup in France 1998, the implementation of decent playing fields across the island has been minimal, according to some prominent local coaches.

While that achievement held promise of proper infrastructure and improved playing surfaces, many have been left disappointed by the common sight of poorly maintained, over-used fields that pass as home to some of the top football entities.
Boys’ Town technical directer Andrew Price (right) addresses the Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange while PLCA chairman Edward Seaga and JFF official Howard McIntosh look on. (Photo: Michael Gordon)



Boys’ Town technical directer Andrew Price (right) addresses the Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange while PLCA chairman Edward Seaga and JFF official Howard McIntosh look on. (Photo: Michael Gordon)

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Embarrassingly for some football watchers who recognise the impact good surfaces can have on the game, there have even been instances when the fabled National Stadium field has been sub-par at best.
According to Andrew Price, technical director of Boys’ Town FC, Jamaica’s progress has been abysmal, given the euphoria and economic boost from its historic 1998 exploits.
“We definitely have not made the improvements... Some fields have improved because we have come from far, but for a team that qualified for ’98 World Cup, I would have hoped that we would have been more developed in terms of infrastructure and fields,” Price said at the recent
Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange of reporters and editors.
Price was among a group of local coaches who shared their “mind-blowing” experiences after a nine-day coaching course in Brazil.
Inevitably, Price drew a comparison between the infrastructure in the land of the five-time World Cup winners and the palpably despairing custom in Jamaica.
“In Brazil, the training ground is different from where they play competitively,” he said. “When (Jamaican) clubs have to train and play on the same field for nine months that can’t be good.
“The Jamaica national (senior) team is going to train… and they have to train at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex because there is no field for them to train on. This is the national programme!” he reiterated.
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has struggled to provide a first-rate practice facility for its teams, despite attempts to do so under respective administrations led by Captain Horace Burrell and later, Crenston Boxhill.
In his second tenure, Burrell has overseen the much-delayed JFF Technical Centre located at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. The FIFA-financed complex is set to be opened in October.
Meanwhile, Price stressed the need for youngsters to be brought up on playing surfaces where they can be properly taught the basics of the game.
“We need to have youngsters nurtured playing on good fields where they can develop good habits and good technical skills. They are not going to do that on the type of surfaces they are playing on currently.
“In the daCosta Cup... some of them (the fields) are like cow pastures, and this is what the schools have to play on,” Price lamented.
National Under-20 assistant coach Andrew Edwards gave a less negative insight on the matter and identified a few fields he deemed to be of decent quality.
“When you look at the fields that have emerged since ’98, you have the Brancourt and Juici Patties fields. They are among the best in the country.
“The recently-renovated Catherine Hall Complex, the one at STETHS (St Elizabeth Technical High School) and St George’s College are decent surfaces. I would say some progress has been made, but not enough to be celebrated,” Edwards said.
Price replied: “The mere fact that Andrew has to be counting the number of fields that we can describe as good fields (says a lot).”
Meanwhile, Harbour View’s Harold Thomas called on the authorities to set up a programme where experts find out what type of grass is best suited so it can be grown at the various venues.

Jamaicans -we like grand sounding ideas and proposals. You don't need a "programme" to find out what type of grass to grow. Any decent landscaper should be able to tell what type of grass grows best that can withstand the traffic on a football field. Our temperature is constant throughout the year.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz20ypz9R3p

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JFF's Technical Centre opens in October

Sean Williams
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

FOLLOWING a series of delays, Howard McIntosh has promised that the FIFA-funded JFF Technical Centre to prepare the nation's footballers will finally be open for business in October this year.
The chairman of the JFF Technical and Development Committee said the late start-up of the UWI Mona-based training home for the national teams was due to delays brought on by "various reasons".
"We have had some delays starting with contractural issues in terms of the delivery from the people who originally had the project... we have had one or two issues with water," said McIntosh as he addressed reporters and editors at the weekly Jamaica Observer's Monday Exchange.
He said the technical centre is scheduled to play a key role in the revolution of the technical infrastruture.
"As we talk about facilities, the football centre at the UWI is a critical part of that and will come on stream at a particular level... When I say that I mean two fields and the technical centre to house the technical staff, and that should be on stream by October," he noted.
McIntosh, who is also a FIFA development officer for the CONCACAF region, told the Observer's battery of reporters that the project sited on UWI lands is funded so far by FIFA Goal Programme money to the tune of US$900,000 (about J$750 million) covering two phases of an initial three-prong development.
After getting it up and running in its current form, the JFF intends to apply for another Goal Project grant of US$500,000 to execute the final phase.
Jamaica has struggled with getting a training facility for its footballers off the ground for years, starting in 2003 when FIFA president Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter was in Jamaica to break ground at a chosen site in Portmore.
That location was later abandoned by the new administration led by Crenston Boxhill, who opted to take the project to the remote hills of Malvern in St Elizabeth. The project, in an unfinished state, was later condemned by then FIFA vice-president Austin 'Jack' Warner at a visit to the location in 2007.
The JLP government later bought the property below value after it languished on the real estate open market for years. The facility is to be used to house and rehabilitate troubled students.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz20ytHqSG0

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Usaf......