According to Xavier Gilbert, the head coach of Jamaica’s female football team playing at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, the younger players will benefit from having more seasoned players on the team, not just in terms of their development, but being competitive.

The 24th edition of the CAC Games takes place from June 23 to July 8 in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Jamaica are drawn in Group B alongside Colombia, hosts El Salvador, Mexico and Puerto Rico in the football tournament.

“It is good to have a mixture of the youngsters and the seniors in the squad. We think that after some of the senior players leave the sport, some of these young athletes will take up the mantle, and you have the more experienced athletes to mentor them along the way, players who have competed in the World Cup,” Gilbert told the Jamaica Observer.

“So it seems important that they understand what is at stake and assist in giving them [the young players] the necessary guidance to compete at this high level, and so we thought it was important to have the mixture.

“I think we should be able to give a good account of ourselves. Mexico will be taking their strongest units, so I think that will be our toughest test. Colombia, El Salvador and Puerto Rico will have a strong unit as well and are quality opponents. But we remain focused on what it is that we want to accomplish, and I am sure we will have much to be pleased about at the end of the Games,” he further stated.

The only members of the 20-member team with senior Reggae Girlz experience are Olufolasade Adamolekun, Chris-Ann Chambers, Mireya Grey, and sisters Mikayla and Malika Dayes.

In addition to serving as the team’s ambassador at the 2019 World Cup in France, goalkeeper Chambers was instrumental in the Reggae Girlz’ historic qualification for the 2019 World Cup. Adamolekun and Grey were a part of the team that displayed their talents against Australia, Italy, and Brazil at the global showpiece.

The likes of Shanhaine Nelson, Sydoney Clarke, and Logan McFadden are returning to the programme, while the remaining members of the squad, many of whom are stationed abroad, are made up of athletes who have graduated from the Under-20 levels.

“As you can see, the roster is primarily made up of young players, so this is just another chance for growth and ought to be a great platform for those young players to express themselves without inhibition. Indeed, we aim to perform well and win a few games, but this tournament is more than a win-at-all-costs mindset,” Gilbert remarked.

“We want to play in a style that fosters the growth of technical football players who can control possession and maintain possession under pressure. As a result, exposing our young players to the intense competition of events like these will only be good if we, as coaches, remain loyal to our goal of player development.