BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Reggae Boyz World Cup star Robbie Earle believes there is a need for an enhanced coaching structure in the Caribbean.

The former Port Vale and Wimbledon striker said it was very difficult at the moment for regional coaches to become certified, and contended that a structure was required where officials did not have to travel abroad to be developed.

“I’d like to see the day when Caribbean coaches can be in the Caribbean and getting the coaching education and coaching honours that you need,” the 45-year-old Earle told CMC Sports.

“At the moment, it’s very costly and coaches have to travel overseas to get their coaching licences and certificates. For a Jamaican coach here in the island, it’s going to cost a lot of money and a lot of expense, and a lot of time to be going over into Europe to go and get the coaching licenses,” he said.

“I think that would be the next stage of what I would call the development of football here — a coach development programme where coaches work… have coaching associations where they come together, share ideas, share common concerns and work together.”

Earle, who scored Jamaica’s first ever goal in a World Cup Finals 12 years ago in France, was one of several stars who participated in the inaugural Flow/ESPN Football Clinics at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium in Jamaica recently.

He was joined by Trinidadian World Cup stars Russell Latapy and Shaka Hislop, along with former French international Frank Leboeuf and Nigerian Uche Okafor.

In a move aimed at boosting the game in Jamaica, the former players worked with local coaches and youth players

in half-day sessions conducted on November 19 and 20.

Earle also said much more attention needed to be placed on the younger age groups, and once this was tied to an enhanced coaching structure, the region would begin to produce not only well-trained officials but world class players.

“Sometimes in football you can look too much at the top end of the pyramid at the national players and only focus there, but the focus should be starting with your eights, your nines, your 10-year-olds, giving them the good basics, giving them the relevant skills so they have the chance to develop,” said Earle.

“If coaching is developed as well — the two go hand in hand — I’d like to think that would benefit the national programme, start producing the players and hopefully more exposure into Europe.”

He praised the ESPN/Flow initiative, noting that it was crucial to youth development.

“This is about unifying the opportunity to develop football in the region. It’s not about an individual becoming bigger or better than the next,” he stressed.

“I think it was important. It was part of the ESPN/Flow football camp and we were out here and were accessible to coaches and it was a real touch-and-feel kind of session.”