ROY McCatty and Claudette Johnson are obviously doting parents determined to be involved in every aspect of their 15-year-old daughter’s life.

In a display of that paternal pampering, the couple journeyed from their Orlando home to be with Young Reggae Girl Adrianna Johnson at the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament held in Costa Rica, where Jamaica were eliminated at the preliminary stage.

Adrianna’s parents were among the only authentic Jamaican support at the team’s three matches, which saw them losing to the two World Cup qualifiers Canada (1-4) and Mexico (0-3), and winning against Panama (2-0).

But their voices weren’t the only ones urging on the Jamaican ‘ballers’ as former senior Reggae Girlz captain Alicia Wilson and her Costa Rican hubby Oscar Lopez also lent suport.

Jamaica’s liaison, Costa Rican Ana Marin, was a newly-christened ‘Yard’ girl, and she cheered for the Young Girlz with an unbelievable passion, spilling tears with each of the team’s losses.

But that’s where the fan support in Costa Rica stopped for the Jamaicans, even as there is a blooming Jamaican community in the seaport town of Limon, some three hours’ drive from the capital San Jose where the tournament is being staged.

For all it’s worth, Roy and Claudette were champions in support of their daughter, and the team in general. They not only stayed at the team hotel in Alajuela, but also joined the group for meals, but always maintaining a comfortable distance and not wanting to appear too presumptuous.

“We could have watched it (tournament) on the Internet like a lot of people, but my position, and more so my wife’s, is that here is a programme that is trying to do its best, so we’re here to support it, not just by coming here, but by doing anything else back in Orlando to help,” said McCatty.

“We came here to support and frankly, we were surprised as we thought we would see more Jamaican supporters. Of course, we also realise the economic times would not allow that… but we made the sacrifice because we wanted to be here to support, not just her (Adrianna), but coaches (Vin) Blaine, Xavier (Gilbert) and the rest of the team,” said the former Jamaica first-class cricketer who played between 1968 and 1970.

McCatty, 63 — who is married to Claudette but has kept their surnames for reasons they did not wish to disclose — said he and his wife also follow Adrianna around the USA for her games with the Florida Rush, a state team competing in the Southern Women’s Conference.

“Yes, we do follow her around and it’s not cheap, I tell you, because when we travel we do it at our expense and every so often we’re flying for a weekend of games,” he said.

Referring to the Reggae Girlz, the couple agreed they are satisfied their daughter has found herself in a group that could aid her development as a player and as a person.

“What I believe is that there is a bunch of girls here who get along… I don’t sense that there is anyone who doesn’t want to be here… What I’ve seen is a high level of respect. This could only be doing good for them, and that’s one of the reasons… my daughter is here,” noted McCatty who like his wife, works in the healthcare sector in Florida.

The former Jamaica medium pacer who holds a referee’s licence and who coaches football, said he believes with the proper fundamentals, the current Under-17s could go places.

“I believe with some good nurturing in terms of nutrition and proper training techniques, which is what is available to them now, they will succeed as they go into the higher levels of soccer,” argued McCatty.

Adrianna, who played in Jamaica’s three matches in Costa Rica, functioned in the left-back position but appeared a bit low on confidence at times and her first coach and dad says he knows why.

“She likes to run into position and when she’s open she expects to get the ball, and if she does that several times and the ball doesn’t come, then she is not considered a part of the play, so I tell her she can’t continue to do that,” McCatty explained.

“She says that the play is different from what she’s used, but that’s how it is, I tell her, and she has got to learn to adapt… She needs to learn to think on her feet and make the adjustment, and she has not made enough of that adjustment,” he said.

McCatty said Adrianna started her athletics life doing the aesthetic sports of figure skating, gymnastics and ballet.

“It’s when I introduced her to soccer as her own coach that she got to like it and decided that’s what she wanted to do… She is also a fantastic swimmer and we also allowed her to play basketball; we even had her play lawn tennis,” he said, beaming with pride.

The couple lived in Canada for some 30-odd years before moving to Florida when Adrianna was a toddler.