St George's academy gets the ball rolling

Sanjay Myers

Monday, February 06, 2012

The St George's College Sports Academy was originally set for a Easter Holiday opening, but organisers got the ball rolling with a football clinic on Saturday at the North Street-based Winchester Park.

Academy technical director Neville Bell was pleased with the start which saw youngsters aged 6-14 being taught the basics of the game between 8:00 and 10:00 am.

"We had a great start and the youngsters seemed to enjoy it. We had about 30 kids this (Saturday) morning and things really went better than I thought they would have," he told the Observer after the session.

He continued: "What we are doing is more teaching than coaching. I see them as two different things so what we are focusing on is technique. I want them to learn how to pass, shoot, and to control and head the ball.

"Many players have gone on to play for the (Jamaican) national team and did not master these basics. I remember as a national coach I spent so much time on technique. I've always felt kids need to learn that in advance."

The veteran coach stressed that the academy is open to youngsters from any school and added that he welcomes female participants.

"The sessions are open to everyone, so participants don't have to attend St George's (high school). We also want to have girls here, so it's not just about the boys. We at the academy just want to help youngsters to realise their potential," he said.

Bell, who coached St George's College to the urban area Manning Cup title in 1992, 2008, 2009 and 2011, said that the start of the academy is the fulfillment of a life-long dream and implored sponsors to aid the various programmes.

"This is a dream come true for me because I've always wanted to do this. The first session we had was worth it and we will be doing it every Saturday morning. Whenever we have a long weekend we will go for it. When the academy is in full swing I want to cover all the areas, including the more advanced ones. Ultimately we want people to be registered and to have a residential academy.

"We also want to get sponsorship and we've been asking for plenty support. WISYNCO has helped with hydration and we hope that it can become a long-term relationship with them," he said, while adding that currently the programme is being funded by the St George's College Sports Council.

For last Saturday's session, national technical director Dr Walter Gama and national Under-23 coaches Alfredo Montesso and Luciano Gama addressed the young players.