Melted SnowBall and The Dummy Dilemma

[Don1]

The JFF's ~20 year policy of massive English imports (AKA SnowBall) to staff Jamaica's national senior team has collapsed...spectacularly. This is a salutary event of course as it allows room for more intelligent ideas to be heard re Jamaican football development.

If SnowBall had somehow lucked into a random WC qualification ...we would have been stuck with that anti-development folly for another 2 decades..at minimum.

Billed by the JFF and its Dummy Crew of supporters as "the solution" to Jamaica's football, SnowBall has seemingly melted away...for the time being. The JFF (apparently) has shifted to what should ALWAYS be their priority: Focusing on leveraging the talents & drive of Jamaicans at or from home. Such a focus will assist in inspiring young players with the dream of national representation. Great! That dream was a gloomy nightmare under SnowBall

Time will tell whether or not this (apparent) new JFF focus will yield a meaningful national youth development system. Perhaps we'll find out after the JFF leadership issue is settled. We await the controversy that settlement may provide

With the utter failure of SnowBall at WCQ and its (unintended) consequence of neutering any youth development drive for 2 decades...its supporters face a quandary. This Dummy Dilemma is exacerbated by the success of the current, hurriedly assembled Jamaican squad in the Gold Cup.

How do Dummies react to this terrible SnowBall tragedy? Do they man up to its collapse and be penitent? Or do they double down on excusing/defending/ignoring their fcukery? Some evidence is emerging...And I comment by paraphrasing:

* HL: Oh this Gold Cup thing is nothing to get excited about. Didn't we get to the final before this? It's early days still

* Lazie: Scrap school football! Where is this talent y'all are on about?? LOL

So the tack some SnowBall supporting Football Dummies take:

* One totally downplays & belittles the big achievement of the current set of locally-bred players... and by extension our brilliant coach/tactician...Top Tier Tappa

* The other doesn't really address the success...but changes the subject to school football & assorted nonsense with more Dummy Talk

* To date neither has the guts to acknowledge SnowBall's utter failure...or renounce their support for that rubbish policy

Yes...it's hard for some to eat crow...but...NYAM DAT!! wooooiiiee mi belly!!

Fortunately...D1 is here to put things in proper perspective

Gwaan Tappa!!!

[Paul Marin]

D1 - some questions:

1. In the GC, do you think we played the kind of football style that characterises how we as a nation want to play football?
2. What would your goals for a national development program be - e.g. "In ten years, we will have A, B, C" (cyan use X, Y, Z - it would fail from start).

Tenk u.

[Don1]

D1 - some questions:

1. In the GC, do you think we played the kind of football style that characterises how we as a nation want to play football?
2. What would your goals for a national development program be - e.g. "In ten years, we will have A, B, C" (cyan use X, Y, Z - it would fail from start).

Tenk u.

I'll give it a shot...from offa mi headtop:

1. No, in my opinion the team did not play the "football style" that's desirable... i.e. eye-catching. But that's irrelevant in the circumstances. Their tactics & defensive efforts were outstanding. That's what this tournament demanded...in the circumstances. So to me it's nothing less than an A effort.

This team has major potential...but did not play to its level of competence. Expecting that would be unreasonable. The coach is "new" to this group...and the aggregation is "new". This is their first major outing...and they performed very well. Need lots more games together to gell as we saw in 1997

With time, internal vibes, external support, chemistry, nuff games...they can do MAJOR DAMAGE.

A few Year 10 targets:

A.
Coaching school established with technical assistance from a worthy, friendly FA...Brazil comes to mind. Hosted at GC Foster and turning out X-amount of certified coaches/year

B.
Structured national youth development system from 7 y.o. - 18 y.o. Based at a completed, modern technical center...with the assistance (on Govt to Govt bilateral basis) from a friendly FA

C.
Private clubs incentivized to establish academies in JA (incl govt land grants & tax inducements) IF they meet certain investment and technical readiness criteria. Criteria may include partnerships with private sector outfits...and international clubs

D.
JFF hires a TD with a small staff. Priority 1: Develop a Jamaican national playing style...after input from stakeholders. JFF to get national buy-in from clubs & schools re adoption of that style. That Jamaican philosophy to be taught at coaching schools. Coaches & JFF affiliates to be given a set, limited period to be certifiably competent in that style

E.
Tappa coaching JA to quarter finals berth in 2026 World Cup

F.
Our semi-pro clubs enabled to attract private investment to improve infrastructure and technical training


NB...This is not exhaustive...clearly

[Paul Marin]

I need more time to think about this, and to tell the truth, other than when I am on this board, I don't spend enough time thinking about it because I always end up feeling dejected, mostly because a HUGE cultural problem that we have is arrogance. There is an unlikely outcome of cooperation for the right cause - too much selfishness.

Anyway - off the top of my head as well:

1. I believe teams need to be community based - more so than private. The private aspect comes from sponsorship. This is the only model that has been successful historically anywhere in the world until recent times and only because the privateers have come in. And they only came when big money was to be made. Abramovich (and Real Madrid) royally f-d up football in my mind.

2. Coaching. Trying to do a coaching alliance with another FA is going to be very challenging. We are better off starting with the Concacaf C, D and E licenses. These just started, but to me, why re-invent the wheel. My *guess* is that the Concacaf C will be an acceptable pre-requisite for the UEFA B or the USSF B.

3. I admire your support for Tappa, but a 10 year set of objectives can't be centered around one man.

More to come. Ah hungry.

[Don1]

Some clarifications....

I need more time to think about this, and to tell the truth, other than when I am on this board, I don't spend enough time thinking about it because I always end up feeling dejected, mostly because a HUGE cultural problem that we have is arrogance. There is an unlikely outcome of cooperation for the right cause - too much selfishness.

Anyway - off the top of my head as well:

1. I believe teams need to be community based - more so than private. The private aspect comes from sponsorship. This is the only model that has been successful historically anywhere in the world until recent times and only because the privateers have come in. And they only came when big money was to be made. Abramovich (and Real Madrid) royally f-d up football in my mind.

2. Coaching. Trying to do a coaching alliance with another FA is going to be very challenging. We are better off starting with the Concacaf C, D and E licenses. These just started, but to me, why re-invent the wheel. My *guess* is that the Concacaf C will be an acceptable pre-requisite for the UEFA B or the USSF B.

3. I admire your support for Tappa, but a 10 year set of objectives can't be centered around one man.

More to come. Ah hungry.

Neither do I spend time outside this forum thinking of football. Many other priorities intercede.

* Jamaica is small, poor and most people mainly backward-thinking in outlook. Most organizations operate as silos..with little collaboration...i.e. Tribal. That's not a winning scenario for ANY form of development. That tribal mentality has to be broken and replaced by cooperation and sharing. That's the job of evolved leadership. It's NOT easy to accomplish in a backward environment...but it's essential. Our group is attempting that collaboration/consensus building in our operational zone...so this is very real. Not theory

* By "private" I refer to for profit and professionally operated. For me community based teams can qualify

* Re Tappa... that's not an objective. It's a wish. Should that occur it would be poetic justice and a a teachable moment for Jamaicans... everywhere

* Re foreign FA assistance... that's difficult and involved. However it's not impossible once JA plays its political cards correctly. I've posted b4 on one creative approach involving govt to govt contacts.

For Jamaica to progress in any area...it's time to get creative and think outside the box... AKA Silos

[Sir X]

Would your D ,look anything like this,if not what would you recommend?

This is based on developing a system where Jamaican coaches accredit themselves to the A & B standard.I was thinking of a pool of 10 to start,and then build from there to set up a comprehensive coaching /educational program?

The Football Director - A

* Senior Coach-A

* U,23 -14 - B ( at least 2 with a B)

As I explained to Sass,this would

* 1st It gives confidence to the program ?


* 2nd it saves money , in that these coaches will save U$A million$ every 4 years from renting a forgein white coach ,who leaves us without the knowledge when sacked and in debt?

*3rd these same coaches can be our own instructors with a comprehemsive program to fit our culture, who keep up with best practices and certify our own (LOCALS) to the required standard,by putting on mandated clinics ?

[Don1]

Would your D ,look anything like this,if not what would you recommend?

This is based on developing a system where Jamaican coaches accredit themselves to the A & B standard.I was thinking of a pool of 10 to start,and then build from there to set up a comprehensive coaching /educational program?

The Football Director - A

* Senior Coach-A

* U,23 -14 - B ( at least 2 with a B)

As I explained to Sass,this would

* 1st It gives confidence to the program ?


* 2nd it saves money , in that these coaches will save U$A million$ every 4 years from renting a forgein white coach ,who leaves us without the knowledge when sacked and in debt?

*3rd these same coaches can be our own instructors with a comprehemsive program to fit our culture, who keep up with best practices and certify our own (LOCALS) to the required standard,by putting on mandated clinics ?

I'm no expert on coaching systems so any opinion of mine would be uninformed.

I just know that JA's knowledge base in the game needs a revolutionary upgrade. And for that to occur we need huge foreign assistance.

Some significant foreign partnerships in coaching knowledge transfer need to be forged. That's where nuff imports should be welcome...if they can add value

[Sir X]

Respect sah ,agreed !

[Paul Marin]

Respect sah ,agreed !

..........................says the Xpert on coaching systems.

[Sir X]

No Xpert, never claim to be ,mi say it from day one, I am like socrates , all I do is ask questions from the masters ,whey dem caan ansa!...Mi naah call yuh name Claffy

If unnuh waaan try mi, inna unnuh kangaroo court and force mi fi drink poison like socrates so be it.

[Don1]

The answer 2+ years later....

Time will tell whether or not this (apparent) new JFF focus will yield a meaningful national youth development system. Perhaps we'll find out after the JFF leadership issue is settled.

....Would be NO