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I was talking to two friends recently and I asked what isthe reason for such a slow growth in the inner city for soccer? One friendmigrated from Jamaica to NY City, played college ball with D1 College andcurrently in the coaching business. The other have Jamaican grandparents andwas born in Costa Rica, was a player in the old debunked US soccer league andis now a TD for a club
Both think the number 1 reason is Time. He said s inner cityparents are not willing while others can’t afford to give the time that isneeded to transport their kids and move them to leagues that will give themadvantage. There is the single moms who are working 2 jobs and are just glad tohave someone baby sit. But there is also the fathers who will not give up theircard gambling, dominoes, cricket, old boy soccer games or session to spend half a day or the whole weekendsometimes for been a driver and sitting on a sometimes boring sideline.
I have been thinking about this and this play a role in thelack of development in Jamaica. Many parents in Jamaica haven’t seen their kidsplayed a game, they think it is a waste of time and that going to the park isan escape to go and smoke herb. Some players develop but the kind of communitysupport that is needed is not there, most kid’s even talented ones are justgiven recreational training and football is seen as a waste of time. I was mostsurprise I went to the field here in GA and I saw a mom talking to a little 6year old and telling her soccer is a way for her to get a full scholarship tocollege. In my 20 miles radius around my house I realize there are not 2(as Ithought) earlier but 4 programs with anywhere between 2000 to 8000 kids and oneis run by a church. Parents have to be there with kids and parents are given acode of conduct sheet. Now let us see that in Jamaica or some inner cityJamaican community. There is always a raffle by a car dealer where the clubgets some of the money and provides some form of payment schedule or scholarship.
When is it we are going to take responsibility? Over the summer I offered to coach someyouths and the parents either come late or drop off their kids to go and do somethingelse. No, sorry I am not going to be responsible for your 6-8 year old if youare not there. Too many think it is just a babysitting tool. This is the same attitudewe display in Jamaica. We expect the kids to take care themselves or someteacher to be responsible for the kids with no help from us. Then we have thenay saying parents and community that gives no support, saying “put down theball and pick up your book” and don’t realize that it just take some timemanagement from them or tell the kids “unnu a waste unnu time” They don’t realizewhat it mean to lose and win as a part of a team. They don’t realize how manyJamaicans have benefitted from scholarship and further studies because they canplay “some” ball, they don’t have to be national players. One of the biggest stereo type in soccer in Americais that the soccer mom is an upper middleclass mother who have all the time and money in the world to drive the kidsaround.
Until we got more parents involved at a younger age we willalways struggle with development. Until parents can give some time to their kid’sdevelopment and be supporters we will remain stagnant. When parents areinvolved in sports, we have a stronger community, we have a stronger club andif this extends to the parish level we will have stronger association. It issimple if we want to develop football itmeans some people have to give a little more time, willing to listen and workwith each other otherwise we will always be looking to somebody else and at someone else.
Both think the number 1 reason is Time. He said s inner cityparents are not willing while others can’t afford to give the time that isneeded to transport their kids and move them to leagues that will give themadvantage. There is the single moms who are working 2 jobs and are just glad tohave someone baby sit. But there is also the fathers who will not give up theircard gambling, dominoes, cricket, old boy soccer games or session to spend half a day or the whole weekendsometimes for been a driver and sitting on a sometimes boring sideline.
I have been thinking about this and this play a role in thelack of development in Jamaica. Many parents in Jamaica haven’t seen their kidsplayed a game, they think it is a waste of time and that going to the park isan escape to go and smoke herb. Some players develop but the kind of communitysupport that is needed is not there, most kid’s even talented ones are justgiven recreational training and football is seen as a waste of time. I was mostsurprise I went to the field here in GA and I saw a mom talking to a little 6year old and telling her soccer is a way for her to get a full scholarship tocollege. In my 20 miles radius around my house I realize there are not 2(as Ithought) earlier but 4 programs with anywhere between 2000 to 8000 kids and oneis run by a church. Parents have to be there with kids and parents are given acode of conduct sheet. Now let us see that in Jamaica or some inner cityJamaican community. There is always a raffle by a car dealer where the clubgets some of the money and provides some form of payment schedule or scholarship.
When is it we are going to take responsibility? Over the summer I offered to coach someyouths and the parents either come late or drop off their kids to go and do somethingelse. No, sorry I am not going to be responsible for your 6-8 year old if youare not there. Too many think it is just a babysitting tool. This is the same attitudewe display in Jamaica. We expect the kids to take care themselves or someteacher to be responsible for the kids with no help from us. Then we have thenay saying parents and community that gives no support, saying “put down theball and pick up your book” and don’t realize that it just take some timemanagement from them or tell the kids “unnu a waste unnu time” They don’t realizewhat it mean to lose and win as a part of a team. They don’t realize how manyJamaicans have benefitted from scholarship and further studies because they canplay “some” ball, they don’t have to be national players. One of the biggest stereo type in soccer in Americais that the soccer mom is an upper middleclass mother who have all the time and money in the world to drive the kidsaround.
Until we got more parents involved at a younger age we willalways struggle with development. Until parents can give some time to their kid’sdevelopment and be supporters we will remain stagnant. When parents areinvolved in sports, we have a stronger community, we have a stronger club andif this extends to the parish level we will have stronger association. It issimple if we want to develop football itmeans some people have to give a little more time, willing to listen and workwith each other otherwise we will always be looking to somebody else and at someone else.
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