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Coach impressed with young Boyz

published: Sunday | June 18, 2006

Downswell

Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter

AFTER A week of preparations for the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) set to begin on July 16, Jamaica's head football coach, Wendell Downswell, is impressed with his Under-21 squad.

According to Downswell, the team has finally understood the goals of the youth programme and has changed its attitude to the game.

"The players now see this as a stepping stone. The next three years are critical to their development and they know this. You see it in the change of attitude," he said.

Downswell had indicated some time ago that one of the major problems with the players was their level of fitness when they came into a camp.

STARTING OVER

"It's like starting over. They pick up bad habits from their clubs and their fitness level is low," he had said.

This time around though, Downswell says he has to commend the players for the work that they have done on their own.

"I must commend the players for maintaining their fitness and staying committed to the personal programmes that we set out for them," he said.

The first of a number of five-day camps set out for the young Reggae Boyz in their preparations for the CAC Games in Columbia ended yesterday and will reconvene on Monday and go through until Thursday before their next break.

Last week, the players went through physical, technical and soft tactical training, where Downswell says the team performed admirably and has made it easy for him to set his sights on medalling at the CAC Games.

"For the first time, we have had a high rate of retention and the players are keen to do well. We intend to medal at these games," said Downswell.

THREE-TEAM GROUP

The young Reggae Boyz have been drawn in a three-team group which includes Costa Rica and Haiti. The top two advance to the next round.

The Jamaicans will leave the island with a squad of 24 players on July 13 for Columbia. At present, the squad is 25-man strong, with players still to arrive over the next two weeks.

The invitees are: Jermaine Taylor, Ralston Robinson, Dwayne Kerr, Jermaine Hollis, Nicholy Finlayson, Adrian Reid, Keneil Moodie, Shaun Francis, Mario Harrison, Rafe Wolfe, Obrian Whyte, Joel Grant, Nathan Koo-Boothe, Akeem Priestly, Lance DaCosta, Horace Howell, Steven Morrissey, Cornell Learmond, Bryan Bayliss, Ryan Thompson, Luton Shelton, Dwayne Jumpp, Merrick Howard, Anthony Christie, and Christopher Powell.

Grant, Hollis, Whyte, Priestly, and Shelton are the players that are yet to join the camp.