Palm Trees for Goalposts

In the summer of 1998 the Jamaican Mens National Team became the 1st English speaking nation from the Caribbean to qualify for the World Cup. "The Reggae Boyz", as they were affectionately known, were lead by Brazilian coach Rene Simoes and consisted of local players and those nationalized by Jamaican parentage, mostly from the UK.  Each of their 3 games was a spectacle of fervor and color, which many neutral fans developed an affinity towards. After two tough defeats by Croatia and Argentina, it seemed only fair that they would bow out of the competition with their heads held high, signing off with a 2-1 victory over Japan.  Fast forward to 2013 and the country have yet to emulate the feats of their legendary '98 squad, however a new dawn appears to be on the horizon. In January of this year the Jamaican Football Federation turned to a European coach, Winifried Shafer, to imprint a new approach to the countries quest for 2018 qualification. The German has a celebrated CV, the pinnacle of which was winning the African Nations Cup in 2003 with the Cameroon. Since his appointment Shafer has made some damning statements about the level of football on the island, most notably in his apparent apathy toward selecting those who play in the countries National Premier League. So how does the country overturn its fortunes if the national manager is casting off its elite before they've even stepped on field? Why has a country who has been able to produce world class track athletes not been able to transfer this into a sport they regard as their 1st love? In January of this year I was presented with the opportunity to find out 1st hand, and it was to be a trip I'll never forget.

On the 2nd of February I embarked on a 3 week club exchange program that would allow me to fully integrate myself into two of Jamaica's Premier League Clubs. Primarily the visit served as a scouting mission, giving me working access to a range of players that could develop into potential signing targets, but in return I would be able to provide each club with reciprocal benefits such as youth development modeling, coach education and much needed equipment resources.

My first port of call was with Sporting Central Academy FC, who are based in the rural Parish of Clarendon. Its founding father was former national team player Chris Dawes, who in 2000 joined forces with a local business owner who had built a landscaping empire on the Island. In 2007 the clubs senior team acquired Premier League status, gaining promotion from the grueling 53 game season of the Confederate Major Leagues, or the "Jamaican 1st division" in old money. During their time in the National Premier League they have become synonymous for an attractive style of play, applying an almost Corinthian approach to possession based football. In addition to this Sporting have given a platform to many talented young players, in which to integrate themselves into senior football. Their U21 team was crowned national champions in 2009, and since then 7 of that team have graduated into 1st team regulars. Sporting Central don't proclaim to be one of the major protagonists for the league flag each year, but what they have created is a system that provides longevity and sustainability. Two commodities that are rare in any football culture. With all of this information swirling in my head I was picked up at the airport in Kingston by the Sporting Central General Manager, and my guide for the next 11 days, Ray Porter.  After a few days I quickly established that Ray was Sporting Central. From collecting sponsorship fee's to organizing game day operations; from orchestrating doctor's appointments for players, to ensuring the field maintenance had taken place. Ray managed every facet of the club from top to bottom with impeccable detail, however what drove Ray was the concept that he was helping to create a lasting identity for the club, and that his work should lay groundwork for the future. He wanted to utilize my experience in youth development to help guide the local coaches, thus providing a better training environment for local youth players.  In turn we built a schedule that allowed me to visit 6 local Primary and High Schools, to meet with staff and work with some of the area's top talent. During this period I also evaluated the clubs senior team on a daily basis. Nigel Stewart is the clubs Head Coach, flanked by assistant Deon Mullings, both of whom were more than welcoming toward my time with the club. Having only been in their respective positions for a little over 2 months, they had worked extremely hard to establish stability back to a team that had experienced two coaching changes already this season. In meeting the 1st team squad I quickly identified the Jewell in the Sporting Central crown, one of the clubs longest servants, Francois Swaby. Operating as the team's main striker on the field his goals have proved invaluable, but it's also his leadership qualities off the field as team captain that has established what a resilient character he is. During my time in Clarendon I was there to see Sporting Central's 0-0 draw with basement boys August Town FC.  It was a close encounter, that was marred by many missed opportunities. It was my 1st real taste of Jamaican football, and while the score line wasn't the most fruitful, it gave me a real grounding in how the game in this country operated and a basis upon which to form future opinion.

After 11 days under the supervision of Mr Porter at Sporting Central, he transported me to the Jamaican Football Federation building where I was to meet up with the staff of one of Kingston's true powerhouses. As the country's capital and subsequently highest populous, Kingston is the very epicenter of all things corporate in Jamaica. As such the region boasts 7 of the 12 National Premier League members, and the current National champions. Harbour View FC hold that crown, and it was to be with this club that I would be spending the next 10 days. The club formed in 1974 and has established itself as one of the islands most decorated clubs. They were the 1^st club to boast a stadium complex, which truly adds to the match day experience when attending home games. Being such a revered organization also attracts attention from out with their immediate catchment, therefore the team has accumulated players from all over the island. Underneath their senior team they have built a comprehensive youth program that works with players as young as 6, who are then schooled in the clubs heavily Brazilian influenced style of play. The clubs most famous export has to be Ricardo Gardner, who came through the clubs youth system from the age of 11. After an impressive World Cup 98 campaign the full back was transferred to Bolton Wanderers for £1M, a transfer record that has yet to be beaten by any other in Jamaica. Gardner went onto have an illustrious career in the game, appearing 347 times for Bolton and a further 112 times for his country. My 1st interaction with the club was to attend a press conference at the JFF building in Kingston, to announce a sponsorship deal with Nestle who were investing significant funds into the clubs upcoming CFU Championship games taking place in March. In essence this competition is the Caribbean's "Champions League" equivalent. The resources available to these CFU clubs are slightly more scarce than those afforded to their European counter-parts, therefore each group section is hosted at 1 venue and played out over a number of days. The conference gave me an insight into the size of the club, such was the media presence and public interest in what was merely a transfer of funds. Harbour View are big news in Jamaica, which was only going to be further underlined during my stay there. Fresh from the conference I was whisked away to the clubs stadium to meet Head Coach Harold Thomas. Coach Thomas took up the hotseat at the end of last season after the previous manager had left the post, to assume the role of the National Team Assistant with newly appointed Winifried Shafer. From the second I met Coach Thomas I was consumed by his presence. He has an aura when he speaks and commands the utmost respect from everyone at the club, players and admin staff alike. We went straight into the clubs senior team practice at 3pm and despite my attendance still being collated in minutes, I was welcomed into the session with open arms from both players and coaches. The next day I was given the opportunity to work with the 1st team on my own, which I was extremely thankful for. Harbour View has a number of national team players as well as some that have operated in some of Europe and North America's top leagues, therefore the quality of the session was extremely high. In my own way I felt I gave them a different type of practice than they were probably used to, so the experience hopefully enlightened all of us. To game day, and the match had been moved to Monday evening to be screened live on national TV. The tie saw Harbour View take on fierce rivals Waterhouse FC, which is regarded as the country's biggest derby match. Prior to the game I was fortunate enough to be introduced to coach Winifried Shafer who had come along to cast an eye over some future international players. While his broken English collided on occasion with my brash Glasweigan, I enjoyed his company immensely as he exchanged tales of his time in Thailand and Cameroon. Hearing his views on Jamaican football was especially interesting, as he truly is a man of the world. Shafer has worked in many different social and cultural settings, therefore his experience and knowledge was simply titanic. Prior to kick off we shuffled back to our seats, and took in what was an enthralling encounter. Waterhouse edged the game 3-2, with a heartbreaking last minute penalty to seal all three points. This did serve to dent Harbour View's league momentum somewhat, which had previously saw them race into a 10 point lead. Despite the disappointment the professionalism of the players was superb in the face of defeat, as they simply dusted themselves down and came back in the next day to prepare for the next match. What became very clear at Harbour View was that there simply isn't time to wallow in self pity. The club demands that each player is on top form each game or the vacuum of competition will award that starting place elsewhere. What enhances this pressure even more is in each oppositions desire to upstage the champions. This extra 10-15% in performance they come up against each week musty not only be matched, but must also be surpassed. It's this mindset that has allowed Harbour View to live in the higher echolons of Jamaican football since the 70's, and what will inevitably continue to be there backbone for years to come. My time in Kingston seemed to fly by, and it was a little over a week later that I concluded my trip with a 9 hour commute back to Boston airport. This gave me some time to formulate some sense out of a vast array of information and personal emotion that I had collated over the previous 21 days, and put down some ideas as to how these clubs could develop.

What became clear very quickly in Jamaica was that the country has ascertained all the raw materials required to build a football legacy, which can perform on the world stage. Fundamentally the population as a whole simply adore football. It's a big part of the week to go along to watch your local team play, as is turning on the TV set on Saturdays to view your favorite English Team's game. This has created a big football culture in the country, and as such it is a topic that's debated from the street corner to the houses of parliament. Participation in sport in Jamaica is expected, therefore physical education is a big component of each school's curriculum. While this does stretch into other sports, it merely serves to enhance a child's ability to perform better on the football field. Football is very much each child's first love, therefore "street soccer" is an integral part to the life of a high percentage of children in Jamaica. What is also a very real factor for a lot of people on the island is poverty. In essence Jamaica is a 3rd world country, therefore financial resources are often hard to come by. In speaking with a lot of people at management and board level within Sporting Central and Harbour View, they compounded this fact by sharing concerns for the future of the game in its current state. Too many clubs feel they are investing monies that merely serve to facilitate rather than generate return. In my opinion I feel piling more money into the game is not the answer. Too often we see sponsorship service the top level of football, where as in Jamaica's case, the funds have to be pushed toward tomorrow's starlets. The current system does not provide players with adequate training, therefore there are millions of children each year whose talented is eroded through a lack of expertise & guidance. If structured properly and given a model in which to develop from, Jamaica has the ability to replicate how dominant they are in athletics. In track & field they have built a best v best environment, which serves to challenge elite level competition amongst elite level athletes. This provides these participants with the necessary tools to perform on the world stage and compete internationally. The current football set up requires young kids with bags of potential to essentially teach themselves the game, which clearly puts them at a disadvantage should they leave Jamaica. Advances in football coaching have simply not reached those who are training tomorrow's National team stars, and a lack of structure is forcing players as young as 17 into senior team football, pitching them up against grown men. Structural changes require time and an application of a clear vision, not necessarily a blank check book and pen.

This Island will forever hold a place in my heart, mainly because football is so intrinsic to their way of life. From the rubble fields of Tollgate Primary School where I worked with children who played barefoot and were wide eyed when I gifted their team 4 footballs; to the Harbour View U13 boys team who played 2 full games, then stayed on to work with me for an hour because they were so excited a European coach was there to train them. This is a special place with truly special people. It was always my intention to enter this trip with my eyes and ears firmly open and fully receptive. I wanted to integrate myself into the Jamaican way of life, understand their football, and more importantly understand their culture. In what was a relatively short period of time I felt I achieved those things, but in doing so I have formed friendships for life. While I have a lot to focus on with my own club in 2014, I hope this can be the start of a united journey, that will allow me to imprint some of the model that's brought the Phoenix great success in Maine. I'd like to finish this piece by thanking everyone that was kind enough to give me their time over the past 3 weeks & give me an insight as to what it means to be involved in football in Jamaica. I would also like to say thank you to Ray Porter and Clyde Jureidini who co-ordinated this wonderful experience for me, and without whom this trip would not have been possible.