Reggae Girl pleads for women's football

BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Alicia Wilson's voice was laced with pain, but with a faint hint of optimism as she begged for the life of women's football in Jamaica.

Wilson, a senior player based here, said the axing of the senior and Olympic women's programmes by the cash-strapped Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was a bitter pill to swallow.

"It's never a good thing to scrap, especially the women's programme which has evolved so much... there are several professional leagues around the world and I think cutting that will diminish the opportunities for our players to go into these leagues," she said.

Wilson, 31, said her gravest concern surrounds the young players who have worked hard to develop their craft and she feared the social fallout from the move will have a far-reaching impact.

"I'm really worried for the younger generation of Jamaican women's footballers because I think we have the potential... what about the players who are coming from the ghetto like me? How would I be here if there wasn't a programme?" she asked.

"Maybe I would have had five or six children in the community without an education or job, so I'm begging corporate Jamaica to come on board and think of us as their daughters, who you're trying to give an opportunity through the sport," pleaded Wilson, who was born and raised in the tough community of Flankers in Montego Bay.

Wilson, who plays professionally here for premiership team Escazu, said she is far from convinced that those in charge of developing women's football is doing their job.

"I don't think we have the people behind the programme to push it," she said.

Wilson said all of the opportunities which have been afforded her in life so far were made possible with her involvement with Jamaica's football, and claims she dreads the looming prospects that the programme cuts could deny other young women to better their lives.

"I'm always grateful because it (Jamaica football) has given me a family and has allowed me to travel, have an education and a job... I have a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters in exercise science and I'm actually working with computers right now," said the Jamaican defender, who has been living in Costa Rica with husband Oscar Lopez and two-year-old daughter Kiana Lopez.

"Right now I'm kind of a soccer mom and I also play here in Costa Rica in the premier division, and currently have six goals in the league where I am playing striker," she said.

Wilson, who tried her hand at netball, volleyball and basketball before settling with football, said she would be happy to represent her country again if the dying senior programme is revived.

"If Jamaica decides to continue with the programme, I would definitely think about it," she told the Observer at Jamaica's second game against Mexico in the CONCACAF Under-17 World Cup qualifying tournament here last Saturday.

"Personally, I always feel honoured to represent my country, and then it's so (the cut) difficult because I would have had another opportunity to play in the World Cup, and I have always believed that we can go (to the World Cup), but we are just lacking in the resources...," she noted.

Wilson has played semi-pro football in the USA where she first had a stint with New Jersey Wild Cats before moving to Iceland for a stint as well.

"With the New Jersey Wildcats, I won the national championships in 2005. I then went to Iceland to play in 2006 and 2007, and I got paid, so I guess that's professional football, right?" she said.

Wilson, who is a cousin to Under-17 player Shauntae Brown, hails Vin Blaine as a good coach and believes with the right assistance, he could move Jamaica's women's football forward.

"Vin has a vision for the game and he has a view of how Jamaica should play... he knows what the players are thinking and he knows what they can take," she ended.

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COMMENTS (1)

Omolyn Davis
3/18/2010

I really appreciate Alicia James sharing her views on this issue of the JFF cutting the female program. I feel the same way, Jamaica football has allowed me to travel to all these places, given me a scholarship and to pursue a degree while playing the sport of my passion. As a current player of the national program, I believe there are tremendous amounts of talents in women football in Jamaica. However, with the recent cutting of the program, many of these young girls’ hopes will sadly diminish.
While surfing the internet, I went on the JFF website where I read the President’s message. Captain Horace Burrell states in his message that, “the three Vice President along with the Executive Director will have full portfolio responsibilities”. One of those responsibilities includes the National Women's Program. The president claims, "It is very critical that this gender of the sport be given focused attention". However, it seems to me that Mr. Horace Burrell might need to adjust his message on the JFF’s website about the female program, because clearly his statement contradicts with his recent decision to cut the female program. I am confident that the senior women's team has the best chance of qualifying for a major event in football today. With most of our girls now here in the States playing for top college leagues, I do believe we are gaining the experience and confidence that was lacking few years ago.
More so, the president also states in his message that, “we have seen the steady improvement of the women’s game over the past several years”, however, there can be no improvement Mr. President if we do not have a female program. Is that the way we improve a program? By getting rid of it? Again, your message seems very contradictory to the decision you recently made to cut the female program. I hope that someone will step up and lend a helping hand to the female program, Jamaicans have placed their trust many times in the Reggae Boyz and they failed as well. Sports are a great opportunity for every young talented Jamaican child to find a way out. The JFF needs to be more creative in the way they go about asking for financial assistance.
Lastly, I would like to express gratitude to Sherwin William for their support throughout the years. They have stood by our program and I recognized the job they have done. My fingers are still crossed, as I pray and hope that someone will step up to the plate and help the senior women’s team.
Current Player,
-Omolyn Davis
George Mason University

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