The Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) is the oldest sporting organisation in Jamaica, established in 1910.

It started with six of Jamaica’s oldest schools coming together to establish what was then a standardised sports day loosely modelled after the British middle schools’ equivalent. The first such sports day (Champs) was held on June 29, 1910 at Sabina Park.

Today there is no contesting the fact that ISSA run sports by and large. certainly, football and track and fieldstands head and shoulders above all others. This is true in terms of sponsorship dollars, spectator support, media support and rights, international interest to say the least; certainly for Boys and Girls Championships (Champs) and schoolboy football

For decades the work of ISSA in organising the various competitions in respective sport as extensions of physical education (PE) classes has served the national and international sporting prowess of our island home greatly. While most of the world has transitioned from amateur sports hinged on athlete development in PE classes to professional sports hinged on athlete development in specialised academies and sports schools, Jamaica is still indebted to ISSA.

In recent years, particularly during the football season, there has been fervent debates on numerous associated topics relating to the ISSA and its management/running of especially schoolboy football and Champs. Emanating from these debates are two consistent lines from ISSA as a matter of convenience. On the one hand ISSA loves to boast about the quality of the products they have developed, which makes them so attractive to all and sundry, including most importantly sponsors. This boast, among other things, exalts the virtues of ISSA’s professional and world-class approach to the running of these two flagship events. The other line, often in defence of some decision or questionable policy, reminds us that ISSA sports are mere extensions of PE classes/ sports day with no obligation to develop athletes for national teams and so on.

From a nationalist perspective it would be to our collective benefit should ISSA expand its role to incorporate, formally, the perceived and yet informal actuality of being the nursery of our national sports programmes across all sports.

In this context, the next phase of ISSA’s evolution may require the following considerations, premised on the purpose of enhancing the youth products for the world stage as part of a new thrust.

The office of the director of competitions should be expanded to include technical teams, led by a technical director, for each sport. The technical directors will have responsibilities to include all technical matters of planning, execution of events with due considerations for the development of the athletes predicated on international standards and best practices.

As an example, the football season can and should straddle the two first terms of the school year, with a structure geared towards development of players over the long term.

The principals led ISSA should give greater considerations to the sports school phenomena. This would give prominence to the athletic development of the student athlete without compromising their academic possibilities.

Currently, in most schools, student athletes are required to carry the same academic workload as their counterparts not involved in athletic pursuits. Incorporating a sports school construct would create an amicable balance between academic and athletic pursuits, giving the student athletes more time to attend to their athletic preparation and development whilst pursuing a minimum number of courses that would allow them to enter college and become functional citizens in society down the road.

Without question, ISSA has developed the expertise and skill sets in creating durable partnerships with sponsors, events planning and execution, events marketing and promotions. Both The University of the West Indies and University of Technology Jamaica should seek to leverage these advantages developed by ISSA over time through trial and error to provide hands-on training for their students. Local organisations and clubs also have much to benefit through partnerships with ISSA in these regards.

Naturally, ISSA is under no obligation to consider let alone effect these or any other changes for national sporting development beyond the delivery of extended PE. However, the fact that ISSA is led by esteemed nation builders, one can reasonably expect at the very least some discussions.

Our youth deserves the best opportunities to prepare themselves with hope for a successful future in their endeavour of choice. Sports continue to grow as an industry, frequently giving rise to new jobs and rewarding quite handsomely the top exponents in their respective fields.

Editor’s Note: Andrew Edwards is a former under- 17 men’s coach and current technical director of Phoenix Academy.