Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
FILE -
Dujon ... will be responsible for introducing new programmes.
JEFFREY DUJON, the former Jamaica captain, West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman and former assistant coach to the West Indies team, has been appointed the country's first national coaching director.
Under the title of Technical Consultant, the stylish batsman who scored 3,322 runs, including five centuries, in 81 Test matches, the acrobatic wicketkeeper who took 265 catches and made five stumpings in 79 matches behind the stumps, will manage the Jamaica Cricket Association's panel of coaches and will be responsible for revamping present programmes and introducing new programmes aimed at achieving consistency in coaching at all levels of the game.
A few weeks ago at Mel-bourne Cricket Club's annual awards dinner, Jackie Hendriks, president of the JCA, spoke of plans to focus on the coaching of young players throughout the country, and according to the JCA's chief executive officer, Brian Breese, the employment of Dujon as the Technical Con-sultant is the first step in that direction.
"The plan is to place the emphasis on coaching at the Under 15 level, at the early youth level, and to ensure there is a consistency of coaching throughout all levels," said Breese yesterday.
"There is a need for our players to learn the basic techniques of the game and what the game is all about at an early age so that you don't spend a lot of time at the advanced stages teaching players what they should have learnt at an early age.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
In the later stages, when it comes to representing Jamaica, time should be spent on things like strategies and tactics, and on mental preparation, certainly not on technique."
Dujon's role in the development of Jamaica's cricket was discussed at a meeting involving Hendriks, national team coach Robert Haynes and chairman of the senior selection committee Ruddy Williams at a meeting at Sabina Park on Saturday morning.
In another move aimed at improving Jamaica's performance on the field, the JCA has also employed a sports psychologist whose responsibility is to prepare the players mentally in order that they will be strong competitors.
The team psychologist is Kadija Richards a former national tennis representative.
