Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau:

After attending Tuesday's colourful launch of the St James Football Association (StJFA) Guardian Life Division Two Football Competition at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, I must admit that I left the venue with mixed feelings based on how the event unfolded.

I found it disappointing that at a time when it is becoming increasingly clear that St James' football is badly watered down and seriously needs to be restructured, for reasons too perplexing to fathom, the StJFA is embarking on a 22-team competition which is catering to quantity rather than quality.

While I believe a many-team format is the desired route at the Under-12 level where the emphasis should be on seeking to unearth and develop talent, at the senior level the focus should be on having our best talent engaged in top-quality competitions aimed at refining their skills for possible national duties.

For many years, much to the chagrin of many parish administrators, I have expressed the opinion that the parish association continues to make a mockery of the Guardian Life sponsorship. Instead of a competition between substandard teams, the board could make the competition more serious by getting the teams from within the same geographical location to join forces and become one strong unit.

competitions

For those who are of the view that everyone who wants to play should be given a chance, they probably need to take a look at competitions like the daCosta Cup and Manning Cup. I am sure there are many schools that could field more than one good team but because the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) is more interested in quality and not quantity, each school is allowed only one team.

Unfortunately, in the St James scenario, the parish association has allowed competitions like the Guardian Life Division Two to become more like community corner leagues, where recreation and not development is emphasised. As a consequence, many persons who rightfully should be spectators are involved as players.

On the positive side of Tuesday's launch, I can't begin to properly explain how impressed I was with the enriching speech that was delivered by national head coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore who was the guest speaker. As one who has been associated with Whitmore from his days as a student at St James High School, it was an absolute pleasure listening to him.

Listening to Whitmore implore the young footballers not to abandon their dreams but to always strive for excellence, leaves me with no doubt that it is messages like those that are needed to counteract the 'bling culture' which some of our entertainers are foisting on our youngsters to their detriment.

I believe that while I must take the St James FA to task for the structure of the Guardian Life competition, I believe it is only right that I also commend them for their decision to select Whitmore as the guest speaker for the launch. Having started his career playing division two football in St James, he is uniquely positioned to speak to the challenges the players are likely to face.

While I left the launch with serious reservation about the Guardian Life Competition as it relates to football development in St James, listening to the many positives in Whitmore's sober presentation left me with the hope that once we continue to work hard, all things are possible.

Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com