Great? The football being played in schools is lousy!!!

[Assasin]

The college system is big on recruiting and the top teams pay stipend to their athlete.

The big schools have real programs that can be compared to a pro side.

Some of the best coaches are in Colleges as they are highly paid.

If you finish as one of the top 40 players, you are pretty much guaranteed a contract of millions with a pro club.

[Karl]

I think it is because they have done a few things:

1. The training program is a 10 month program
2. The big schools recruit
3. They are (to a great extent) using public funds
4. The sport is expensive, so privatization would be a challenge
5. Schools see american football programs as a benefit, not a drain (it attracts public support, sponsorship and other funding) plus is good for schools spirit
6. There is a divisional system as I understand it, so the best players end up at the best schools

Bricktop might hit me on the head for this, but I think schools can be the basis of a soccer program if there is a divisional system that gets the best players playing together and some kind of supplemental competitive program where the best players from a group of schools play together (e.g. an all-star team or teams from the corporate area play in a league against country schools). Of course, this presumes coaching is up to snuff (which is where I believe the big problem is). By no means should anyone think I have thought this through, just trying to be creative to leverage the cultural pre-disposition we already have to school-boy football in Jamaica.

That is my point -

..and with deference to HL's good suggestion that I "shut up"...keep my peace (Forgive me, HL? I beg of you?) -

Just to emphasize two or so of your points, Paul -
a) The schools provide funding!!! GOJ funding and parents and well-wishers funding. The basis of that funding is - IN PLACE! (yes, I am shouting!)

b) Any look at the 'Law of Averages' must say to even the dim-witted that being able to lay good foundation at earliest ages must mean if all the schools provide quality instructions to their kids...even if as the kids grow 'weeding out' in each school continues as it must...then less of our real talented will slip through the cracks!!!! ...=more of the 'real talents' will make it to the 'next level'. ...thinking along another track we could even use the "Law of Large Numbers".

c) ...then there is - The schools (perhaps 99.99%) already have the physical plants - equipment, buildings and fields!!! ...makes for more efficient use of funds!

d) "a" + "b" + "c" make access for all our talent - schools=great for scouting/great place to find good young talents.

NB: Why would we consider it logical and sensible to prepare all our kids (right across the island) before sending them off to each succeeding higher level of learning...but consider it illogical to apply the same thought process as it s relates to sports?