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Prep advancing on primary boys in football
February 27, 2024
Yesterday, when the Prep school All Stars team lined up for their match against their Primary All Stars counterpart, many assumed it would be another walk in the park for the All Primary, who have traditionally dominated the fixture.
However, that wasn't the case at the inaugural All Star Football Tournament at Constant Spring field, where the All Prep defeated their opponents 1-0 for the Allan 'Skill' Cole trophy.
Coach of All Prep, Romaine Kennedy, believes coaching education and the influx of football academies have helped prep schools close the gap on their primary counterparts, who usually boast superior talent.
"The education for coaching in Jamaica is growing, so if there was a gap between primary and prep schools, this shows that the coaches are learning, and if the coaches are learning, the players will.
"I encourage that we have more coaching education across the country to help develop young players," he recommended.
He pointed out that many young prep school football aspirants now spend a lot of time outside their school season honing their skills at academies, and the impact on prep school football has been massive.
"The academies play a big part. Checking the international level, youngsters train two to three times a day. The academies here help the kids because when school season is out, they continue (their development) with their academies, and this has contributed a lot.
"The overall development in prep schools is growing, even though I am fairly new to this, as this is my second year as a coach to Liberty Academy. I have seen, across the board, the whole growth of football in prep schools," he said.
In a competitive and entertaining game, Jahleel Thompson netted the game's only goal, scoring from a free kick late in the match to give the Prep All Stars victory.
Primary All Stars' assistant coach, Damion McLean, noted the marked improvement in their opponents and believes prep school football and primary school football are now much closer than it was a few years ago.
"The boys were equal in every area in terms of quality, so there was no difference between the prep and primary. All the boys from the two teams stood out. The two teams played quality football, but only one can be victorious. I big up the prep team. They gave their all, just like the primary team," he stated.
Meanwhile, in the day's other game, the All Star South schools defeated the All Stars North 1-0 on a superb solo goal from Christopher Reid for the Walter Boyd trophy.
Reid dribbled from in his half, leaving four defenders in his wake before finishing the fantastic run with an emphatic finish to the match.
Tournament organiser Leighton Davis said the inaugural staging of the All Stars Football Tournament was a success.
"We are happy. The support was excellent. We met our objectives of showcasing the boys and giving them a platform to play together.
"We just hope to build on this. The boys don't get much recognition until they reach Manning Cup, and I believe they need the encouragement to keep going," Davis said.
