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STETHS building dynasty - Edwards
Published: Saturday | November 5, 2011 0 Comments
STETHS's captain Leo-Pete Cole (centre) accepts the Ben Francis Cup from ISSA's president, Dr Walton Small, following his team's 2-1 win against Manchester High last Saturday at Jarrett Park. ISSA's Denham McIntyre (left) and other members of the winning team share in the occasion.- photo by Adrian Frater
Adrian Frater, News Editor
Published: Saturday | November 5, 2011 0 Comments
STETHS's captain Leo-Pete Cole (centre) accepts the Ben Francis Cup from ISSA's president, Dr Walton Small, following his team's 2-1 win against Manchester High last Saturday at Jarrett Park. ISSA's Denham McIntyre (left) and other members of the winning team share in the occasion.- photo by Adrian Frater
Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:On the local high-school cricket circuit, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) are second to no other school. Now, the school's astute coach, Andrew Edwards, would like to establish a similar profile in football.
"We are trying to position ourselves to challenge for all the major trophies every year," said Edwards, whose team won the 2011-12 Ben Francis title last weekend.
"We won the daCosta Cup in 2009 and since then we have won the Ben Francis Cup twice."
Based on the players he will retain at the end of this daCosta Cup season and the talent coming up through the Under-14 and Under-16 ranks, Edwards believes the foundation is in place at STETHS to create a football dynasty.
"We have over 80 boys who are active in competitive football between the Under-14, Under-16 and daCosta Cup," said Edwards. "Our programme is geared towards retaining at least 50 per cent of the daCosta Cup team each year, which means that we will always have a competitive team."
Edwards, whose association with football started at his alma mater, Titchfield High School, where he came under the tutelage of Donald 'Don D' Davis, is constantly upgrading himself as he seeks to get better as a coach with each passing year.
"I played Under-16 football for Titchfield and was in both the 1993 and 1994 daCosta Cup squads," said Edwards. "I learnt a lot from coach Davis, who took me to my first coaching course after realising that I was interested in coaching.
"I have attended every major training course put on by the JFF since then," continued Edwards. "I have also done coaching courses in the United States."
Ironically, the football programme, which is now reaping Edwards so much success at STETHS, was actually designed while he was at Titchfield in 2002, but he never got a chance to properly implement it.
"The big difference between Titchfield and STETHS is the support I am getting from the administration here," said Edwards. "Mr (Keith) Wellington (STETHS's principal) is the pilot ... . He sets the direction and work with us to achieve our goal."
Doors opened
In joining the staff at STETHS, Edwards also got to work with top-flight coach Wendell Downswell, a solid source of knowledge, support and inspiration. It is believed that that association helped to get him into the national programme as the assistant coach of the Under-20 team.
"Getting in the national programme opened the door for me to visit Brazil, which was a fantastic experience," said Edwards. "I was truly impressed with their inclusive style of coaching, which is really about working in harmony for a command goal."
With a fabulous working environment, a supportive principal, a good programme and an excellent nusery continuously churning out new talent, Edwards is convinced the foundation at STETHS is ripe to create a football dynasty.
"Because of the way the programme is structured, even if I am no longer here the foundation for continuous success is in place," Edwards said. "The plan is to complete the triple this year (Ben Francis, daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield) and then start getting ready for next year."
Part of Edwards' success story at STETHS is what appears to be a unique ability to instill and maintain discipline among his players on and off the field of play.
"It is a part of my basic philosophy ... while I allow the players to participate in the planning of activities, at the end of the day they know that I am the man in charge," said Edwards. "We operate on the basis of mutual respect."
"We are trying to position ourselves to challenge for all the major trophies every year," said Edwards, whose team won the 2011-12 Ben Francis title last weekend.
"We won the daCosta Cup in 2009 and since then we have won the Ben Francis Cup twice."
Based on the players he will retain at the end of this daCosta Cup season and the talent coming up through the Under-14 and Under-16 ranks, Edwards believes the foundation is in place at STETHS to create a football dynasty.
"We have over 80 boys who are active in competitive football between the Under-14, Under-16 and daCosta Cup," said Edwards. "Our programme is geared towards retaining at least 50 per cent of the daCosta Cup team each year, which means that we will always have a competitive team."
Edwards, whose association with football started at his alma mater, Titchfield High School, where he came under the tutelage of Donald 'Don D' Davis, is constantly upgrading himself as he seeks to get better as a coach with each passing year.
"I played Under-16 football for Titchfield and was in both the 1993 and 1994 daCosta Cup squads," said Edwards. "I learnt a lot from coach Davis, who took me to my first coaching course after realising that I was interested in coaching.
"I have attended every major training course put on by the JFF since then," continued Edwards. "I have also done coaching courses in the United States."
Ironically, the football programme, which is now reaping Edwards so much success at STETHS, was actually designed while he was at Titchfield in 2002, but he never got a chance to properly implement it.
"The big difference between Titchfield and STETHS is the support I am getting from the administration here," said Edwards. "Mr (Keith) Wellington (STETHS's principal) is the pilot ... . He sets the direction and work with us to achieve our goal."
Doors opened
In joining the staff at STETHS, Edwards also got to work with top-flight coach Wendell Downswell, a solid source of knowledge, support and inspiration. It is believed that that association helped to get him into the national programme as the assistant coach of the Under-20 team.
"Getting in the national programme opened the door for me to visit Brazil, which was a fantastic experience," said Edwards. "I was truly impressed with their inclusive style of coaching, which is really about working in harmony for a command goal."
With a fabulous working environment, a supportive principal, a good programme and an excellent nusery continuously churning out new talent, Edwards is convinced the foundation at STETHS is ripe to create a football dynasty.
"Because of the way the programme is structured, even if I am no longer here the foundation for continuous success is in place," Edwards said. "The plan is to complete the triple this year (Ben Francis, daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield) and then start getting ready for next year."
Part of Edwards' success story at STETHS is what appears to be a unique ability to instill and maintain discipline among his players on and off the field of play.
"It is a part of my basic philosophy ... while I allow the players to participate in the planning of activities, at the end of the day they know that I am the man in charge," said Edwards. "We operate on the basis of mutual respect."
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