SEVEN YEARS after being a part of the history-making staff to qualify a Jamaica youth team to a World Championships, Dr. Dean Weatherly will get a chance to head another qualifying effort.
Dr. Weatherly, who along with Patrick 'Jackie' Walters and Brazilian Clovis de Oliveira guided the country's Under-17 team at the World Champion-ships in New Zealand in 1999, has been appointed coach of the country's Under-20 team.
"It is a great honour to reach such an appointment," the 43-year-old said after confirming that he will take over the post soon.
"As a coach you want to climb the ladder and reach the highest point in your field and being selected as a national coach at any level certainly gives one the opportunity to fulfill those dreams," added the man who has great success at the schoolboy level with Cornwall College and who has been charged with the responsibility of rebuilding Wray and Nephew National Premier League team Village United.
His new position, Dr. Weatherly said, will not be an easy one but he is prepared to give it his all in order to be a success.
"I intend to work very hard to get us to qualify for the World Championships. That I know will be difficult as we have started late but I think so far we have a great technical team in Wendell Downswell (national head coach), Patrick "Jackie" Walters (assistant to Downswell) and physical trainer Sean Samuels," Dr. Weatherly said.
As to when he will have his first session with his new charges, Dr. Weatherly is unsure but said that could be sorted out some time this week. What will also be sorted out is the coaching structure and whether or not an assistant to him will be named.
"We will discuss that and more in the coming week when we have a meeting to iron out a number of things," Dr. Weatherly told The Gleaner in response to questions about the coaching structure.
While he has not begun the job formally, Dr. Weatherly said he knows there is a core group of players already in line for consideration but added that "we will still go around the island looking at players and I will have some input in that".
Qualifications for the CAC tournament begin in October, 2006.
- Nodley Wright
