This needsto be formalize... similar to the us program

[OJ]

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Flemming plays it safe - JC Manning captain avoids salary, signing with TG to keep US scholarship option open

Published: Monday | January 21, 2013 3 Comments


National junior football player, Junior Flemming. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer




Ryon Jones, [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Staff [COLOR=blue !important]Reporter[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
National under-17 football captain, Junior Flemming, has ensured that his participation in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) with Tivoli Gardens FC will not hinder his chances of landing a scholarship abroad by not signing a contract or accepting any monetary compensation.
"My coach, Mr (Alfred) Henry (Jamaica College football coach), told me that first and foremost, I shouldn't have any agreement or sign any contract and I am not supposed to be paid because if the scouts or any interested college hears that I am being paid, they would say that I am already a professional," Flemming explained.
"I am just playing like a volunteer. I just choose to play for enjoyment, so I am not getting paid, and I haven't signed any contract or anything like that."
The 17-year-old forward, who also captains Jamaica College's Manning Cup team, has represented Tivoli Gardens at all the youth levels but made his senior debut on January 8 against Olympic Gardens in the Jackie Bell Knockout competition. He has since featured in two RSPL games against Cavalier and Waterhouse.
"They (Tivoli) asked me to play because I have played at the under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-21 (levels) for the last two seasons, so they asked me to join the Premier League team as soon as the Manning Cup was finished," Flemming stated.
Flemming missed Tivoli's game against Sporting Central Academy yesterday as he has joined up with the national under-17 squad that is preparing for the CONCACAF Under-17 Championships to be held in Panama City April 6-19. He was also a member of the team that participated in the 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Mexico.
The fifth-form student is hoping to join his former Jamaica [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]College [COLOR=blue !important]teammate[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], Ashani Walker, at the University of Cincinnati when he completes high school in the next two years.
"Ashani Walker is there (at Cincinnati), and he advised me that persons that have a lot of speed, and so forth, colleges really need those sorts of players," Flemming shared. "So I would like to go to that school, and moreover, I would like to go to a Division One school."
Former Bridgeport High School Manning Cup standout Darren Mattocks has proven what a good launching pad United States collegiate football can be. Mattocks starred for the University of Akron before he was drafted by Vancouver Whitecaps FC as the second overall pick in the 2012 MLS Super Draft.
Mattocks' former Bridgeport High school teammate, Jamiel Hardware, was attempting to chart the same course when he joined Jefferson College. He was, however, released after just eight games as he was deemed ineligible to represent the institution, having played for [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Boys' [COLOR=blue !important]Town[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] in the Premier League.

[Assasin]

Yes they need to have something like where players for schools who have the grades and are seeking scholarship do not get paid but others who are not trying to go to school can do their thing.

What ever became of Rambo Brown who didn't want to play NPL, wanted to go to college but signed with an agent for ill adviced tryout with Villa? I say ill advised because he had no Jamaican caps.

[Gamma]

Ok. Advice for the player. If you play official league games on a team with pro paid player. He will jeopardize his status. He can train with the team and play games with a u20 team.

told to me by a DIV I college coach ....

[Assasin]

You have players who play NPL and was still able to secure scholarship. The problem is our dicey system where it is more on the teams to prove the player didn't play pro.

Players like Ryan Thompson was able to win their cases against the NCAA although he was a regular starter for Harbour View. Many other players seasoned NPL players have been able to secure scholarship. It is safer if the player don't play but if he knows the NCAA rules then and didn't violate it and can prove it, he is alright. As OJ said we need to put a proper system in place.

[Don1]

Ok. Advice for the player. If you play official league games on a team with pro paid player. He will jeopardize his status. He can train with the team and play games with a u20 team.

told to me by a DIV I college coach ....

I am now an authority on this by virtue of a 2 minute internet search:

It would appear that prospective student athletes are allowed to compete on professional teams as long as they're not professionals themselves....and are even allowed to receive expense reimbursement and still retain NCAA eligibility

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/AMA/complian...egulations.pdf

[OJ]

The rule is kinda of grey as i understand it.. It was you cannot benefit , get paid ect... but ncaa soccer players can train with mls teams... but ncaa hockey player cannot... so thats the issue. What you can do is build a program called whatever similar to pro 40... and protect the eligibility of the player by saying to the ncaa these players will train play but will not be paid....

[Gamma]

i would have imagined he know this, but it seems pretty clear. and that would make sense as the burden would be that of the player to show that he was not compensated for playing ...

[Don1]

ok boss

[Assasin]

yeah my coach use to warn us about playing in leagues such as the Bronx League or other community leagues where players are paid. The key was not to take any money or "seen" taking any money.

As a coach if you sure you going to take a player, to avoid all the attention you would advise him to lay low and not play NPL just to be sure.

[Don1]

i would have imagined he know this, but it seems pretty clear. and that would make sense as the burden would be that of the player to show that he was not compensated for playing ...

I'm not sure in such cases how a player can prove a negative...i.e. that he did not receive payment

Perhaps a statement to that effect from the club would suffice

[Assasin]

now you are a real authority. LOL

[Assasin]

The NCAA do a fairly good amount of homework. Recently an article was published in the gleaner and two coach was upset asking if the Gleaner realise how much damage can be done. One pointed out that the NCAA are now using a lot of the info gathers in local press etc. to build cases, not only in Jamaica and soccer but in other sports and in very rural places in the US as well. Some players like Ryan Thompson were cleared while Hardware was not. It is on the player and his connection, the interview and process that they use.

[Gamma]

if he was on not their books as receiving payments (assuming they keep accounts) that would shift the burden ...

[Don1]

All well and good...but a player cannot prove a negative like "not receiving money" by himself....that "proof" has to be supplied by the potential donor

[Don1]

ok boss