Liverpool's Raheem Sterling can be one of a rare breed

[Karl]

That's the problem Gamma - we have no systems to harvest the full potential.

Our system breaks down not as a result of competitive structure or expansion of the market-place/market...but the ignorance of our 'buyers'=administrators and coaches/teachers.

The avenues to showcase skills are there...but the 'selectors' are ignorant and know not that they are ignorant!!!

[Karl]

The only thing that would have failed Sterling in Jamaica is a kick and run high school competition. The skill was honed on the dust bowls of Maverley.

And preach it as you all may, I'm not one who believes that you suddenly become intelligent as you step on the MV Windrush, no matter what it's called these days.

Re: ...you suddenly become intelligent
You are correct!!!
The talent (potential ability) is always there.

...and that is one reason we know TALENT ABOUNDS! We also know that poor 'teaching' retards...or at the very least (we can say) does not assist in/on development of ABIDING TALENT!!!

In Jamaica many of our better players are overlooked year in, year out as they do not 'pop' enough to suit our ignorant scouts!!!

Although they have ABUNDANCE of TALENT they perform in a manner too mature (sensible) for the scouts to comprehend. They are too TEAM oriented and not enough 'tek im hoan' for the scouts liken of 'other qualities' . The scouts refrain - "boy can play"

[Zeppo]

My little rant here is just to have us recognize that talent abounds, and that players like Sterling and John Barnes got their very important starts kicking around some idle ball on the streets of Jamaica.

Big difference though as Sterling moved away from Jamaica at the age of 5. He's much more of a product of British football.

[Paul Marin]

We leave a heap of raw material on the floor eeking out far too few gems = "abundant talent"?

That's the problem Gamma - we have no systems to harvest the full potential.

[Sir X]

You can apply it to any discipline, skill alone is nothing without a system to hone/harness intelligence, call it certification or degrees.

[Gamma]

We leave a heap of raw material on the floor eeking out far too few gems = "abundant talent"?

[Gamma]

intelligence is innate ....

[Mosiah]

Is this a question for the Future Ganja Growers Association?

[Sir X]

How are individuals trained to meet the required intelligence levels for certification?

[Paul Marin]

I won't disagree. My little rant here is just to have us recognize that talent abounds, and that players like Sterling and John Barnes got their very important starts kicking around some idle ball on the streets of Jamaica. There are more doing the very same thing as we speak. Many of them won't migrate so they'll either be lost in the shytstem or become our promising stars at 24 years of age!

And you are correct. Jamaica is full of systems, rules and regulations. It's the implementation and monitoring of same...that's where we are lost! Not to mention the constant revision of the rules as administrations change.



I was wondering where have I smelt yuh before!

Mo, what certification systems exist in Jamaica? Are they followed? Can anyone point me to the Jamaica football development curriculum?

[Jangle]

I was wondering where have I smelt yuh before!

Stop try showoff yuhself, because JOS bus neva used to run whey you come from.

[Mosiah]

Such crock!

Stick to di ganja discussion.

[Mosiah]

I won't disagree. My little rant here is just to have us recognize that talent abounds, and that players like Sterling and John Barnes got their very important starts kicking around some idle ball on the streets of Jamaica. There are more doing the very same thing as we speak. Many of them won't migrate so they'll either be lost in the shytstem or become our promising stars at 24 years of age!

And you are correct. Jamaica is full of systems, rules and regulations. It's the implementation and monitoring of same...that's where we are lost! Not to mention the constant revision of the rules as administrations change.

So many people would jam een to the bus that you would find your armpit mash 'gains' the glass...

I was wondering where have I smelt yuh before!

[Paul Marin]

The only thing that would have failed Sterling in Jamaica is a kick and run high school competition. The skill was honed on the dust bowls of Maverley.

And preach it as you all may, I'm not one who believes that you suddenly become intelligent as you step on the MV Windrush, no matter what it's called these days.

What I think is holding us back - more than anything - is our inability to work within "systems". Have you ever seen anything in Jamaica work consistently according to a system or set of rules? When I was writing common entrance, a next youth in my class didn't even pass, BUT, come September, him find him ***** eena a seat at JC true him fada know 'so-and-so". Not that this is unique to Jamaica (hell, look at G.W. Bush), hardly so, but what we need is a cultural shift towards order. I remember as little boy when JOS used to run, being STAMPEDED by every kind of mankind when the bus would pull up to the stop. So many people would jam een to the bus that you would find your armpit mash 'gains' the glass...press so hard that me friend Blacka look white...like all the pigment get press out of him.

The point is that football development needs carefully crafted systems. In America, we have a football curriculum that in some states go all the way down to the U6 level. We have a system of certifications, nation-wide, all the way up to the professional level; from what I understand, we have that in Jamaica too...BUT, do we follow it? Maybe someone can tell me. From what I see here with ODP, most coaches in America do follow the curriculum (as modified by their clubs).

So, this is my long winded way of saying: Sterling becoming the fellow we see on the field today would have been a lllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng gggggggggggggg shot had he stayed in Jamaica. We leave a heap of raw material on the floor eeking out far too few gems. Until we can be consistent, organized and focused, we will continue to lose our talents to better organized countries.

[Sir X]

Intelligence has to be honed, your degree wasn't given to you because of your good looks, you worked on that raw skill of abstract thinking.Same with Sterling that raw skill, pace and trickery was honed in the U. K.Its rare to find that intelligence in Jamaica as it is rare to find that skill in the U.K.