PES boss Monroe holds reigns at hectic Waterhouse U-17

Founder of Pembroke Elite Soccer (PES) Levi Monroe has settled well as head coach for Waterhouse under-17, despite the double duty he will be expected to lead this season.

The current Waterhouse youth coach will have his hands full for the next few weeks, as he will be called into action across multiple competitions.

Monroe said his attention will be split as Waterhouse will be fielding two different youth teams for the ongoing Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Under-17 competition, as well as the upcoming Professional Football of Jamaica Limited (PFJL) Under-17 Development Programme, scheduled to start at the end of the month.

In the PFJL, Waterhouse will participate along with Arnett Gardens, Portmore United and Harbour View.

Monroe explained that Waterhouse will be fielding a young, inexperienced team for the KSAFA competition, while the older players will be focused on the PFJL's competition.

"We could have had a stronger team for the competitions, but we have two teams now," he said. "We're entering the KSAFA competition, but we're also entering the PFJL Under-17 competition, so we must divide the teams, where some players play in the PFJL, and some will play in the KSAFA.

"For the KSAFA under-17 competition, we'll use mostly under-15 players. A lot of them have shown that they're hungry for the win, want to perform, and want to come out here and show the fans that they can play and compete," Monroe said.

Waterhouse, however, will be bolstered by players from the PES programme, as Monroe said the opportunity to play competitive games at this age will be an invaluable experience for his players.

With the schedule of games ahead, Monroe will also be supported by PES co-founder Damoney Kildare, a member of his coaching staff at the under-17 level, while doing duties as head coach of Waterhouse under-15.

"PES is a sports management programme, so we have a lot of players that are a part of PES who are currently unattached to clubs," he explained.

"Some players are invited here at Waterhouse to showcase their talent. They have good coaches guiding them alongside myself and coach Damoney, and they've stuck to the task and have carried out the task well."

Monroe said despite fielding mostly under-15 players in the KSAFA competition, he believes they have the talent to challenge for the title against older and more experienced squads.