The magic of schoolboy football
By Hartley Anderson
Jamaica Observer.
SCHOOLBOY football has always sparked unparalleled interest in this country. As such, it is ironic the local governing body has not exploited its popularity by recognising and treating it as a plausible feeder programme for the respective national teams — though I suspect the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) would reject this claim.
For, at a time when the majority of Premier League teams struggle to fill their venues on match days, there is hardly a schoolboy football game where a decent gathering of spectators is not a given.
Therefore, as the grand climax of another such season draws apace, an exploration of the disparity that obtains between the two scenarios is perhaps both timely and relevant.
Since history is, in fact, the genesis of tradition, a perusal of the past is a logical starting point, with yesterday's capacity crowd at Jarrett Park to witness the daCosta Cup showdown between Rusea's and STETHS an appropriate backdrop for this discourse.
Without a doubt, our relatively fledgling history in education, which has more than a tinge of colonial influence, has contributed significantly to the prestige accorded high school sporting contests in Jamaica.
Here, it must be borne in mind that it has only been two decades or so since a plethora of high schools emerged — the majority hitherto being known as secondary schools that were not allowed to play in either competition — the prestigious Manning or daCosta Cup.
In fact, for years these second-tier institutions functioned as feeder schools for the traditional ones, with the unethical atmosphere that attended the frenetic recruitment (or 'buying') of such players in the name of sporting success and bragging rights a contentious talking point to this day.
It also casts a dubious shadow over many a schoolboy championship side, with the stories of boys not attending classes but turning up at training and on match days an unfortunate but enduring memory for many.
Further, as has been previously mentioned here, the aforementioned competitions were conceptualised in an environment where a high school education represented the zenith of academic ambitions and achievement for the majority of students and their parents.
Pervasively, tertiary education was a nebulous concept ne'er to be realised by the vast majority of the population and spurred by the belief that nothing existed beyond the realm of high school.
The term 'college' that is still attached to some of those institutions no doubt lent credence to this idea, but nonetheless served to underscore the importance of the schoolboy leagues and the phenomenal wave of popularity with which it has always been attended.
Thankfully, however, the exclusive nature of schoolboy sports in general has dramatically changed, to the extent that a number of non-traditional schools have etched their names on either trophy over the past few years. This list includes Norman Manley, Charlie Smith and Bridgeport in the Manning Cup, and Godfrey Stewart, Frome Technical, Garvey Maceo and St James High in the daCosta Cup.
Similarly, it may be argued that the recent paucity of sporting success being experienced by some traditional schools stems from the drying up of these recruitment resources. For, potential recruits now represent their original schools and are accorded similar leverage as far as publicity and the opportunity to be seen by a wider audience is concerned.
This is a positive scenario as it forces schools to utilise their own home-grown talent. Again, it fosters a more authentic representation while encouraging coaches and physical education teachers to develop their own programmes at the respective schools, if sporting success is the ultimate goal.
On the other hand, the Premier League, though presumably the top competition in the country, enjoys little sentiment or crowd support compared with schoolboy football.
This may be due to its relatively short history, since the semi-professional environment which underpins it is still quite new to Jamaica.
In large measure, however, the standard of football is mostly to be blamed for the pervasive disinterest displayed by the majority of the population — including those who are passionate about their favourite English Premier League teams and are equally avid about their favourite schoolboy team.
The uncompromising truth is that club football lacks the important drawing card of established or budding stars. Further, the negative approach adopted by the majority of premiership coaches who would appear to privilege a goalless or low-scoring draw over a thrust for victory, regardless of the outcome, has certainly not helped matters.
In all fairness, however, the standard has also been significantly affected by the many locals now playing overseas. At the last check, Jamaicans were playing in diverse places like El Salvador, Vietnam, Russia and Scandinavia. Of course, an impressive number play with English and United States franchises.
Finally, club football may not, at this point in time, enjoy the popularity of its schoolboy counterpart. But rather than bemoan this reality, it's for the powers that be to use the esteem of the former to generate some momentum.
In fact, would it be such a bad idea for a National Under-23 team to begin playing in the Premier League?
