The name Rockesha Dayes may not yet resonate in women’s football in Jamaica, but the 21-year-old still has eyes set on making an impression for the Reggae Girlz on the international stage.

The Lacovia High School graduate is in her final year at Wilmington University in the United States where she has been on a scholarship since 2018. Dayes is studying health sciences, but wants to become a registered nurse or dental hygienist and intends to continue her studies at Wilmington when her first degree is completed next semester.

Dayes played five years in the ISSA high school girls’ football competition between 2013-2018 as a centre half and attacking midfielder and followed in the footsteps of teammates Sabrina Stone and Terry-Ann Nembhard, who went to Davenport University and Harcum College on overseas scholarships, respectively.

Despite playing for five years in the schoolgirl league for Lacovia, her best place finish was in the quarter-finals, but Dayes’ greatest achievement, so far, was representing Jamaica in 2017.

The team on which she played had been quickly assembled after receiving a late invitation to participate in the Youth CAC Games Beach Soccer Championship in The Bahamas. They went on to play very well, losing to Trinidad and Tobago in the final.

“I am delighted that I played for the Reggae Girls in 2017 on the beach soccer team at the Youth CAC Games Beach Soccer Championship in The Bahamas. It was the only time that beach soccer was played at the tournament and we won the silver medal, so for us it was a great achievement,” she said.

“At first it was challenging because I wasn’t used to playing on the sand for that long, but after numerous training sessions it was like playing on grass, but it required more energy playing on the sand,” Dayes added.

“The experience was great knowing that it was my first time playing outside of the country. The achievement was phenomenal because we were called on suddenly and we worked together as a team and represented the country well,” she went on.

While in Jamaica, Dayes played as a centre half and as an attacking midfielder, but in college she now plays as a winger, a position that she has grown to love, but she continues to be haunted by the “quarter-final jinx”.

“I play as a winger now and I prefer playing in that position. I play in Division Two football at the collegiate level and our best place was quarter-finals last season,” she noted.

But Dayes is determined to change that next season.

“When our season starts, we are definitely going to be the finals,” she said defiantly.

Like every other Jamaican, Dayes was filled with pride when Jamaica played in the Fifa Women’s World Cup for the first time in 2019.

“I was extremely proud to see the girls playing in the World Cup, knowing we created history.

“I think they did well, knowing that it was their first time playing in the World Cup which can lead to anxiety. Yes, there is room for improvement, but I know they will use their experience to fill in the gaps that need to be filled in,” s he stated.

Dayes is hoping that Jamaica qualifies for the next Fifa Women’s World Cup and hopes to be a part of the mix on that journey.

“I definitely want to play for Jamaica again,” she insisted.

Dayes is among many girls who have received football scholarships after playing in the annual ISSA schoolgirl football competition.