Sickko, Mo anybody on the ground...

[Siya]

Do you guys know what's up with the U15 interparish competition this year.
With our fair-weather fan attitude towards our football I am nervous that with the U17 debacle recently that this vital competition may go down the list of the JFF's priorities.

[Sickko]

These leagues are normally played in July and August, have not heard anything but I do know they had some problems with sponsors the last few years.

I know the St James youth club leagues will kick off just after the start of the Summer holidays and that they play from Under 13 through Under 19.

The St James schools Under 13 league is set to end soon.

[Lazie]

"but I do know they had some problems with sponsors the last few years."

... while money a waste pon DCup and Manning Cup? kiss teet! Mek fi yute dem guh a school guh learn and mek the parisgh associations deal with youth football.

[Sickko]

I cant understand the problem with your discontent with schoolboy football, there is nothing wrong with schoolboy football as far as I can see.

School sports is part of our culture dating back over a century and wwe should cherish it rather than try to dismantle it, it might not be perfect but that does not mean it should be scrapped.

Same way ISSA with all their imperfections manged to recognise the great imnpact of school sports especially football and trcak and field are able to market it successfully, why cant those in charge, successive JFF administrations, try and see where they can take youth club football.

One of the reasons is that the schools are seen as more organised and easier to deal with than clubs which most times dont even have a bank account or anyone accountable to give money to.

I recall not so long ago seeibng DCup teams with players in mismatched socks and sneakers-not turf shoes, playing in muddy conditions.

I remember covering Girls Champs with less tahn 500 people watching even when it was a better event than Boys Champs- what ISSA has done should be commended not criticised.

[Lazie]

I cant understand the problem with your discontent with schoolboy football, there is nothing wrong with schoolboy football as far as I can see.

School sports is part of our culture dating back over a century and wwe should cherish it rather than try to dismantle it, it might not be perfect but that does not mean it should be scrapped.

Same way ISSA with all their imperfections manged to recognise the great imnpact of school sports especially football and trcak and field are able to market it successfully, why cant those in charge, successive JFF administrations, try and see where they can take youth club football.

One of the reasons is that the schools are seen as more organised and easier to deal with than clubs which most times dont even have a bank account or anyone accountable to give money to.

I recall not so long ago seeibng DCup teams with players in mismatched socks and sneakers-not turf shoes, playing in muddy conditions.

I remember covering Girls Champs with less tahn 500 people watching even when it was a better event than Boys Champs- what ISSA has done should be commended not criticised.

Dating back over a century? That the problem bredren, we too sentimenal. As it is right now we have player being "stars" at the schoolboy level, where are they at the int'l level? Byron Earle comes to mind. (Don't get slick now .. I know him too old now hehe)

Mek the JFF tek charge of the NPL, the D1 and D2 (both should be islandwide like the NPL if we can call it dat.) Allow the parish associations to take charge of youth leagues, that would take care of the accountability.

How serious are we about having first rate national teams?

[Siya]

How serious are we about having first rate national teams?

Cant be so serious Lazie as to cut out or cut back school boy football when school boy football is bigger and has deeper roots than anything the JFF has going anyway.
Sometimes I think we forget that these are kids and we are adults who just want to win football games. The deep roots of school football is important here as trying to replace school boy ball with youth club football would flop... no one would go to those games...

School boy football is actually very good for Jamaica because otherwise we would have to leave it up to clubs, who cry pauper at every turn, to go out and scout and recruit the talent that schoolboy football uncovers from every nook and crannie year after year after year. The JFF needs to push to have more qualified coaches at the school boy level... beyond that... lets be real they dont have the finances or man power at national regional or parish level to do anything much with youth football...

[Siya]

These leagues are normally played in July and August, have not heard anything but I do know they had some problems with sponsors the last few years.

Thanks.
I know there was a large turnover on the National U17 squad from the team that started out as U15's two years ago and won the CFU championship but many may forget that one reason for that is that during the inter parish competition many more players got the chance to show themselves like one youth from Clarendon who played his way onto the national team last year.
I hope they keep this going - if you can find big money for Bora please find some to keep a U15 program going year round...