Three coaches at the preparatory and primary level in western Jamaica have called for more investment in grass-roots football to lift the performance of preteen players.
The coaches expressed their views during the second week of the Youth Football League (YFL) Under-11 Junior Cup, which took place at the Cornwall College playfield on Saturday
Linden Thompson, the coach of Granville Primary and Infant, said that grass-roots football could be improved with more access to fields.
“Most schools in Montego Bay don’t have a good surface, and no real football can be played in a little backyard. When you get to other schools outside the region who have fields, they outshine you. The west is filled with a lot of grass-roots players who are talented enough to move on to the next level,” Thompson said.
Granville, considered as one of the volatile areas in St James, uses sports at this level to help keep the peace in the community.
“The only way the youths can get help is through sports. Sports will get them to pursue a career. We need to come together and lift up the youths because they are the future,” Thompson added.
Bennyon Burchell, coach of Montego Bay Preparatory School, said parents also need to play a part in grass-roots sports.
“Parents need to value fitness and sports so the youths can develop competitiveness and good sportsmanship at the grass-roots stage. On a bigger scale, it can help to lower or even eliminate crime in the country. More attention should be paid to it because it can be a good avenue for rehabilitation,” Burchell stated.
Montego Bay are the only prep school from the west that is registered in the competition. The team didn’t advance, but for the coach, just being involved is positive for the youths.
“It is a good experience for the boys. I get to find out how the players perform while under pressure, and we do take this as a positive influence to move forward,” Burchell said.
Howard Cooke Primary are the defending YFL champions in western Jamaica, and coach Delano Brown said consistent development would help to improve grass-roots football.
“Invest in the players’ craft and ensure that you are instructing the children under your care the best way possible, look and learn from persons around, and you will get better results,” Brown added.
The YFL Junior Cup began in 2022 and eight teams in Montego Bay have registered for the league this year.
Last Saturday, Lannaman’s Prep won the Junior Cup eastern regionals. Four teams from the Montego Bay leg of the YFL advanced to the all-island finals. They are Howard Cooke Primary, Granville Primary, Port Antonio Primary, and Corinaldi Avenue Primary.
The competition will head to Manchester for the central regionals at the Kirkvine Sports Complex on October 12 before returning to Kingston for the all-island finals on October 19.
