JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts says he’s unfazed by criticism of his Administration’s handling of football development, insisting that it has been executing the best grass roots programme in the country’s history.

With the Reggae Boyz failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for a seventh-straight campaign, long-standing criticism around the governing of local football by various stakeholders and the public have intensified over the past year.

One of the main concerns has been the lack of investment in youth football, which many believe has contributed to the senior team’s struggles.

However Ricketts, who has served as JFF president since 2017, told the Jamaica Observer that the current Administration has placed more focus on youth initiatives than ever before.

He pointed to the national under-17 team that qualified for the FIFA World Cup next month, the national under-20 team that narrowly missed out on World Cup qualification, and the under-15 and under-14 programmes that have won several regional titles over the last two years. Ricketts also spoke of the improvements made at the youth level for the girls’ programmes, which was inactive for years.

Ricketts believes the criticism has been unfair, and says his and the JFF’s work can speak for itself.

“Honestly, we have done well,” he said. “Three World Cup qualifications in eight years — and we’re looking for a fourth; a governance structure that is second to none.”

“I always use Christ as an example. He was crucified, and when he was being crucified they asked, ‘Who should we crucify?’ And some people shouted, ‘Crucify Jesus!’ who would[n’t]have done anything wrong, and [they demanded they] release the criminal, who was Barabbas.

“It’s just the nature of people. Sometimes people are objective and make the proper, fair comments; sometimes they are not. I’ve become immune to these negative comments. [All] I want [is] to ensure that my conscience sets me free and I do what I think is right. And I think I am blessed to have some real good people around me, people who really support the process, and people who are loyal and committed to growing the sport of football.”

Ricketts says along with the JFF’s own initiatives, FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS) has helped to strengthen the work being done at the grass roots level.

“We would have gotten some support from FIFA in the development process and that would have paid huge dividends, because what that permits us to do is to go around and harness young talent, get them into an organised setting at the [UWI-] JFF Captain [Horace] Burrell Centre of Excellence, and then we do some training there,” he said.

“We deliberately exclude overseas-based players from the under-14s because we thought that we do have enough talent at that level, and we were intent on ensuring that we give the opportunity to all the local under-14s who were good enough to be part of this programme. But we have benefited tremendously from the TDS programme.”

Ricketts says the grass roots programmes are on the right track and will produce greater results in the years ahead.

“I must commend the [under-14] coaching staff, headed by Vassell [Reynolds] and the entire management team,” he said. “Two years agonthe under-14 unit would have won the CFU Challenge Series. The following year, they won their group at the Concacaf level, and then the following year we qualified for the U-17 World Cup.

“So we are evolving, and I really want to commend the technical committee, the technical staff. The show is on its way and the sky is the limit, and we want to again qualify for the U-17 for next year. I think our youth programme is in good and competent hands, and we just want to ensure that there is a high level of consistency and competence from our coaching staff, and we are excited at the prospects.”