Quest -whither Sterling&Aarons if still yard side?

[Assasin]

what they know about US model???? US have more community academies. The US have more local base academy, they thing is they set standard and requires a core set of standard, meet often and see what is working and what is not and try to improve it.

[Karl]

From my standpoint the Cup business is a great competition but it is just a showcase, the youths need to have the skill and knowledge long before they hit 7th grade.

Here is what I would propose to start things, at least six part time academies with three classes, four, five and sixth grade together, seven and eight and nine, ten through 13, all programs based in existing institutions (reduce operational cost) run only one weekend per month but on the weekend in particular it is a three day camp, Come in Thursday night after school and stay through Sunday midday, focused on identifying the best physical, emotional and mental talent mix, actual work is on meeting and exceeding pre weekend camp standards such as expectations on completing agility courses in certain tines, such as a 5k, agility courses with simple mental challenges and lastly and most importantly setting tasks and evaluating execution ability, both football and otherwise. In the summers it is a five week camp where the best get re-invited and the focus is on development of playing roles within a few styles of play and just intense technical and skill knowledge and playing bombardment during the five weeks.

During the school year it is about identification process from October through June you invite as many promising players as possible with the objective being to find the best of the best through testing of key performance areas so by summer the best have been identified. This will be a continuous process of testing performance and obtaining results, those that fail will get a chance the next year or through reinvitation if they show promise to redeem themselves if they prepare and train to exceed expectations.

Geographically there are six centers so no one center is more than two hours from any place on the island. So Montego Bay, port Maria, manchioneal Kingston, old harbour, Christiana and black river, roughly so use existing heart academies and high schools with boarding facilities and make arrangements with area hotels on the food side. This use of existing infrastructure minimizes cost and the operational timeline also reduces cost tremendously while creating an infrastructure where families can relatively easily accommodate with a little sacrifice getting the youths to and from these places.

ten weekends per year and one big camp per year across six sites covering eight to eighteen year olds. Potentially each camp per site can cover seventy boys per weekend so potentially each site can see 700 youths across the six sites equals 4200 invites per year. That is just a fundamental start as there are three hundred thousand males between 8-18 of which maybe 20 percent are eligible and have the physical goods and desire to play competitively so sixty thousand eligible and this program may cover 4200, so less than ten percent and there is a need to build an academy squad within each level for which each recruit aspires to join that rank.

Basic idea but it hits sone key areas such as need for an island wide program, which is easy enough to operate, relatively easy access for all, uses existing infrastructure and institutions with a relatively light touch and main use is during off months. That is just a start. Cost of operation could be as low as $3-5k us per location per weekend so $350k us for all the weekly camps and about the same for the summer camp so less than $3/4 million per year could make this work over five years you are looking at $3.5 million us with exports starting in years five to ten, free transfers for first year with an increasing percentage each year worked thereafter.

Goal creating fast, highly skilled players with high emotional and intelligence quotients that can play anywhere and are all well trained in leadership skills.

Can be done.

Many ways to skin a cat!
The concept is great! ...and it can be done.

..even as from those left tremendous top (as in comparable world top quality) TEAMs -age appropriate - could also be in our various school competitions...and naturally National and International competitions. Just thing on what 'the best of the best' could produce.

As Gamma said the costs - cash - would be more than that you put forward...but what you have proposed can be done!!!

[Gamma]

highs schools are supposed to be about athletics, that is the kind of academy that it is. some people waste time and some people focus only athletics to the detriment of their studies. you are EXACTLY reinforcing my point. leave academics to our high schools and develope football specific academies if we want to EXCEL in that field area because the development of football is passing us by.

AMERICA which has an intemediate level of football at a higher standard than our schoolboy football (college football) is moving towards academies, now if that does not tell you something then nothing will.

an academic institution can try to be jack of all trades, but it will master none with that approach and the proper development of talent will be hit and miss, at best.

[Gamma]

private funding ...... you can banter all you want, that is where it will have to come from.

[Gamma]

its like travelling vs rec league at the base level.

[Sir X]

Agreed.

[Karl]

highs schools are supposed to be about athletics, that is the kind of academy that it is.

Yuh mean track & field?
Why only track and field? ...and btw - You used that trick of focusing on high school before to steer my position on 'the school system'. High schools are not the alpha and omega of "the school system".

Questions for you:
- Do you think working at same track impacts academic studies negatively or positively?

- As it relates to nurturing growth of 'the man' - (Hey please do not get me for saying 'the man' in this case it refers to male and female). - is participation in 'sports' a plus or a minus?

- Have you looked at these two facts: Time allotted to sport in schools... time allotted to academic work?

- Is there time available for each student to work at academic subjects and sport disciplines...and ace both?

some people waste time and some people focus only athletics to the detriment of their studies. you are EXACTLY reinforcing my point. leave academics to our high schools and develope football specific academies if we want to EXCEL in that field area because the development of football is passing us by.

Nope not reinforcing your point. Disproving it!

Let me help you with your point - It has two parts:

- leave academics to our high schools
FULL STOP!!!

- Special football schools=football academies.

AMERICA which has an intemediate level of football at a higher standard than our schoolboy football (college football) is moving towards academies, now if that does not tell you something then nothing will.

Prove they have better football teachers and better administrators leading on football development than ours!!!! End of story!!!

an academic institution can try to be jack of all trades, but it will master none with that approach and the proper development of talent will be hit and miss, at best.

So in Jamaica within context of our financial resources, a high school should be a specialist institution of Mathematcis? ...or teaching/learning of Spanish? ...or whatever academic discipline?
...as attempting to provide excellent teaching in both condemns to being "Jack of all trades and master of none"?

Even you realize that something is wrong with 'that picture'...right?

[Gamma]

academics rather than atletics ... freudian slip maybe.

[Gamma]

wrong karl! wrong wrong wrong!!!!

i have not advocated dismissing EXTRACURRICULAR football e.g. sports is good for the body and mind. talented players who want to play professional football need an avenue that FOCUSES on football more than just as an extra-curricular activity.

aarons and sterling have proven that. at manning cup age they were placed in an academy.

talent can be spotted anywhere at any time and THEN what?

[Karl]

wrong karl! wrong wrong wrong!!!!

i have not advocated dismissing EXTRACURRICULAR football e.g. sports is good for the body and mind. talented players who want to play professional football need an avenue that FOCUSES on football more than just as an extra-curricular activity.

aarons and sterling have proven that. at manning cup age they were placed in an academy.

talent can be spotted anywhere at any time and THEN what?

...and what was provided for them on their academic studies?
How did they do there?

I cannot answer those questions...but even if they did poorly on academic studies it does not disprove my point that there is more than enough time to do well....very, very well at both academic studies and athletic endeavours (- No need to not understand it is not only about football - TALENT ABOUNDS!!!).

The point is the quality of the environment and very, very important quality of the teachers that make the difference.

Facts: Numbers of failing kids in our schools who do not participate in sports or engage in same with 'Gamma-like' focus. - [(Truth be told also 'my type' focus. That focus was poor both at sports and academics. Luckily it seems 'things came easily' to me to get by in both. No more than get by. ]

The often touted 'fact' that sports prevents or hinders academic excellence is myth!!! It is true that a full time top of the world professional athletic is not usually top of world academic. Each at that level becomes as close as can be to full time preoccupation.

...but there is tremendous difference on comparison of top of the world preoccupation as adult and attention given or indeed necessary to be given at school. At school our kids must be exposed to wide array of disciplines with motivation, guidance and education delivered by relevant experts. Such that there is allowance for development to fullest potential.

It is necessary for our kids to be able make best judgment as earliest of choices on direction future life-path follows has great relevance to range of pathways to which exposed. If you lock our kids away from some disciplines then you do them a disservice.

Hey if the kids are not taught to read and write...then...? Not exposed to the sciences...then...? Not exposed to athletics...then...? Choices are limited. Cannot expect scientists if the kids are not exposed to the sciences...etc., etc.

- The real problem we have is when compared to world top levels our education institutions provide poor services and our results bear that out. ...matters not the discipline. It is just not wise to continue to inculcate acceptance of poor teaching and also that poor attitude that our teachers 'ram' into our 'heads' that goofing off is acceptable. Our poor school boys and school girls football products direct result of poor education - FULL STOP on that!

[Gamma]

who is likely to make more progress and develop their football skill .... a youngster who puts in 6 hours a day or one who puts in 3 (quality of coaching being equal)?

[Assasin]

yep but now at age 12 and above you have the Elite teams. Elite teams play against other elite teams, and they no they are trying to make them not compete in school leagues. Also in our academy you have special skill coaches who come in once a week and work with Goalie, different moves etc for all the age groups.

[Stonigut]

Yes but us league is a money league in the youth levels, no money don't even bother to come. Hey even if you have money the traveling and time commitment is ridiculous for the parents. That is why US is stuck in neutral, they have hit that upper middle class glass ceiling.

[Gamma]

there's the rub ... soccer is a middle class sport in america powered mainly by parental support....it really has not reached the lower income level groups to that extent which in any event would be recent immigrants or the first generation children

[Assasin]

True for most but there are some financial aid packages available and the MLS Academies don't charge. Parents can stay home for 14 year olds.

Expensive for most but in the case of Jamaica we could cut the expense if we really wanted to, doesn't have to be expensive. The US culture regarding soccer is different. There is also some people who have set up their own thing based on sponsorship. You have a inner city team in Atlanta, You have Boys and Girls club doing their thing and you have the Boys Scout doing their own league in some places.

Another thing is all these clubs provides Financial assistance but you have to ask for it and share financial information. Don't expect any help if you are working over 40,000 and you may have to help in the concession.