J'ca Launches Feeder Academy

The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) yesterday announced plans for an annual mini-academy for 15-19 year old cricketers at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town. The first session will be spread over three weeks next month (August 2-25) involving 28 teenagers, including four girls.

To be named The George Headley Centre of Excellence, the mini-academy, which, it is hoped, will serve as a feeder for the regional Shell Cricket Academy at St George's University, is one of several now springing up around the Caribbean. It had its roots in ideas put forward by the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB's) Cricket Development Unit.

Acclaimed West Indies wicketkeeper /batsman of the 1980s and early 90s, Jeffrey Dujon, will be the technical director while the WICB's Development Officer with responsibility for Jamaica, Phillip Service, will be the administrative director.

Service yesterday described the project as "another cog in the development process as we undertake to return West Indies cricket to winning ways".

His major concern, just over a week before the start of the first session, is money. Financial constraints have already forced a revision from the originally-planned five-week session to three weeks. The budget for this year is $1.5 million, of which $500,000 has come from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The remainder, it is hoped, will come from corporate support.

"We are appealing to the business community to give us as much support as possible. We need it to move cricket forward," said Service.

Dujon and Service will be assisted by former Test fastbowler and world record holder for most test wickets, Courtney Walsh and WICB Coach and another former West Indies pacer, Kenny Benjamin. Local coaches, including Andre Coley and Gibbs Williams, will "be responsible for delivering the cricket part of the curriculum which will focus on fundamentals as well as video analysis and game sense/simulation," a news release said.

The "wide-ranging curriculum" will cover "cricket, complementary skills (movement, balance and vision), life skills (communication, hygiene, nutricytion, conflict resolution etc), fitness and conditioning as well as mental skills tailored to satisfy the individual needs of our young cricketers".

While the age-group has been classified as 15-19 year-olds, Service said the top-end age was in fact be closer to 17/18 since candidates were being selected based on their eligibility for the under-19 tournament the following year.

Jamaica Cricket Association CEO, Brian Breese, stressed yesterday that the mini-academy should not be confused with the camps for young cricketers run by former Australian captain and coach, Bobby Simpson, which will be held for a third year, in November.

"This is entirely different from the Simpson camps," said Breese, "though some of them (mini-academy graduates) will probably join Simpson in November".