Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) has invited 50 of the island's youth level coaches to participate in seminars to be held by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) Vince Ganzberg and Lee Mitchell.
The seminars will run from August 26-28 at the JFF's offices in New Kingston and the National Stadium.
In a move to facilitate the continued growth of local football, the JFF has not only targeted the growth of the youth players but is also keen to develop coaches as a critical part of the process.
"The goal is to have all coaches at the youth level sort of develop the same philosophy on how we should coach the youngsters," co-ordinator of the event, Vin Blaine, said at a press conference at the JFF's headquarters yesterday.
"We believe that if we are able to develop the coaches it will then help to develop the players," he said.
Jamaica put up an impressive showing at recent Under-15 Caribbean Football Union Youth Cup where they dominated the sides from the Caribbean region but were knocked out 4-2 in the semi-finals by a invited and seemingly tactically superior Canadian team.
It is now hoped that the youngsters, as they develop, will not only continue to outperform the region but also, with improved coaching, close the gap in terms of tactical superiority between the nation and some of CONCACAF's top teams.
"At the international level, the difference between our youngsters and the teams that do really well is not as much ability as it is preparation... we have a lot of work to do on the tactical aspects of our game," JFF president Crenston Boxhill said.
