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Hosanna football competition for MoBay prep schools
October 29, 2024
St James will have a new junior football competition, the Hosanna Preparatory School 25th Anniversary Under 12 championship.
Jermaine Allwood, coordinator of the competition, says he is looking forward to the development of youngsters, during the launch last Thursday on the school's playing field.
"This is our first competition in years. As the coordinator and also a coach for two years at Hosanna, we have not entered any competitions, especially owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am expecting great things from the players who entered. We want to expose the players to the sport and build relationships with the other prep schools, and also a bond," Allwood told STAR Sports.
"We have to provide a greater platform for students at the grassroots level so they will be able to practise and showcase their skills and build good relationships. There are several competitions out there, especially for government schools and others that sometimes we are not privy to or we choose not to enter," he added.
Nine preparatory schools have been confirmed so far for the competition. Along with Hosanna, the others are Fairfield Academy, Greater Destiny, DMP Academy, Montego Bay Preparatory School, Eber Kindergarten & Preparatory School, St Mary's Preparatory, Hemmingay Preparatory, and Williams Elite Academy.
"We approached 12 prep schools but, so far, nine have accepted our invitation. The month-long competition is expected to finish on November 29," Allwood shared. "A similar competition was held in 2019 to celebrate the school's 20th anniversary. The idea was to build a synergy among the prep schools. It had 15 teams that entered, which was a combination of both prep and primary schools."
In the meantime, Ryan Wright, coach of St Mary's Preparatory, said, as first-time entrants, his goal is to provide exposure for his players.
"I want them to be able to play the game and socialise with other schools. I am not going there necessarily to win the competition, but more for the students to develop their skills and get exposure. Our first game is on Tuesday (today) against Hosanna and we look forward to it. My aim is to ensure the players have a good time. If we go there and win, that is good," Wright stated.
The launch included a jersey parade and musical selections from Hosanna Prep School's choir.
