General manager of the Jamaica national teams Howard Bell, Under-17 football coach Wendell Downswell and Munro College head coach Andrew Edwards left the island on Thursday to attend the Nike International Friendlies that will feature the men’s national Under-17 teams from the United States, Portugal, Brazil and Turkey.

The trio, acting on behalf of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), will have the opportunity to scout the US Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase for talented players with Jamaican heritage.

The Development Academy, formed in 2009, boasts the top tier of youth football in the United States and the league features 80 academies from various organisations, including Major League Soccer, North American Soccer League and the United Soccer Leagues.

The SEAZR Foundation, which is the major entity behind the move, has a focus on the empowerment of athletes through sport and education via sustainable programme initiatives.

Stephen Jones, president of the Atlanta-based foundation, said the programme is geared to provide a multi-faceted development for youngsters and will help to increase the national teams’ player pool.

“This is the first phase of a series of youth oriented programmes aimed at Jamaican born/parented athletes. This endeavour begins with sport, but encompasses an enhanced education to ensure sustainable youth empowerment for our precious and well regarded Jamaican athletes to achieve their unlimited potential,” Jones said in a statement.

Chairman of the JFF’s Technical and Development Committee Howard McIntosh indicated that the JFF was very willing to take up the invitation as the local body continues its efforts to expose technical personnel from Jamaica to the best opportunities for learning and seeing overseas Jamaican based players.

The three JFF representatives return to the island on December 5.