Livingston Scott, STAR Writer

Former Jamaica College Manning Cup coach Alfred Henry said Jamaican high-school players are missing out on many football scholarship opportunities in the United States because they are underqualified, and has called on high-school coaches and managers to take a more vested interest in the players' lives and assist this process.

Henry, who walked away from the JC job in 2012, argued that the majority of high-school players are used to bringing glory and honour to their respective schools, but there is no system in place to ensure that they are fully prepared to take advantage of opportunities that may exist to improve themselves and their education.

"I don't think these Manning and daCosta Cup players are really prepared for the college scene. Last year, we tried to get about three people into colleges, but I ended up getting not even one, based on academic qualification," he said.

Henry, who scouts for overseas colleges and was in the island for the summer, said talent is here in abundance and high schools should start putting programmes in place to have their student players prepared.

He also said coaches should know the requirements for college, as this is sometime another big letdown for the youngsters.

"It lays with the coaches and the people who manage (children). You have to have your aim and objective before you start a programme," he said.

"Some coaches here don't really know the requirements of getting a scholarship. They believe you can just go and play and get a scholarship. They don't know you have to prepare the player.

"So, there are a lot of things the coaches here have to learn. They (coaches) just want to win, but I want to make sure everybody plays so they have a chance to go college or pro," he concluded.