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I heard a radio commentator say that Jamaica College is looking to strengthen their squad by recruiting up to five players from other Caribbean islands….


If true, shame on my brethren Crimestop….

In reply to FanAttick


So, if true, Vere was doing it (locally) for donkey years...same for STETHS and Clarendon College in later years...what's the difference...because you have to cross water?

I think it's a great move, it may lead to a robust Caribbean Football League. We have CPL, we could have CFL.

In reply to HumbleCalf

I dont have a problem with local recruitment…but international recruitment solely for football at high school level is farcical

In reply to FanAttick

Additionally, since we cannot have a Caribbean football team at the Olympics, recruiting the youngsters from all over the Caribbean would give us a chance to get the cream of the crop and give them Jamaican citizenship and BAM, we have a Caribbean football team playing under the Jamaica name...I like it better now!!

In reply to FanAttick

Recruitment is standard practice, especially in the "traditional" all-boys high schools. Deep pocketed, and egotistical old-boys go to any length for bragging rights.

They even use overaged players sometimes. Vere and CC did that for years back in the seventies.

Track is another story. East Africa is the latest recruitment hotspot.

In reply to NHu

I’m quite familiar with local recruitment practices that has prevailed for decades…..the international recruitment practices is new to me….

Meanwhile schools that traditionally do not believe in schoolboy club football, like Cornwall College and Munro College are at a great disadvantage but ironically playing for those types of high schools almost assure each player a university education in Jamaica or abroad. However, most of the club high school teams are selfishly only looking for trophies and have no concerns about the future education or careers of their players.

In reply to FanAttick

Dude! that is a rampant practice in US prep schools.You go to a game at a rival high school and the ball boy comes around with the printed rosters; you find the home team has three guys from Senegal and two from Brazil! I saw earlier in the season where St.Jago had 4 Guyana youths.

In reply to camos

A lot of things are rampant in the US but that doesn’t make them right….

In reply to FanAttick What is the harm in having foreign students, that is a recent big development in Track and field also?

In reply to camos

There is no harm in having foreign students…

When said foreign students are recruited solely for the purposes of winning trophies that renders the whole exercise a farce in my humble opinion….

All that does is stroke the egos of past students and does very little to advance the welfare of the students as a whole…

Recruit as much as you want and from wherever for club football but ISSA should set minimum standards for schoolboy football…

For example- there is a long standing rule that players who switch local schools have to sit out a year …schools are seemingly circumventing this rule by recruiting overseas players

In reply to FanAttick

Some schools are receiving calls from overseas students, in the case of Track and Field.

In reply to FanAttick

KC has recruited Ugandans for middle and long distance events.

International athletes also enroll in Jamaican high schools because it increases their visibility to college scouts. Champs and Penn Relays attract a lot of American college recruiters.

In reply to camos

you all need to stop. it is the well funded KC old boys who had their egos bruised becasue Calabar mauled them for about 7 years in a row with that "super class" (Taylor, DeJour Russell, Stevenson, Anthony Cox, Tyreke Hill)

the KC onld boys recruited the Ugandans to run the distance races.

In reply to FanAttick

Come on Fan, you surprise me here, bro. This to me is a move long over due, not only in sports but should be extended to the academic areas!

In fact, the Caribbean should have a 6th form exchange program!

In summer holidays they should also have a cadet exchange program!

We have to start fostering and building a Caribbean community at an early age!

UWI and West Indies cricket are the only established institutions where we build relationships among us!

Forget CARICOM for now and leave it to Gen Z!

The current leadership is hopeless!

Mia is the only voice crying in the wilderness!

In reply to XDFIX

I’m 100% in support of recruiting for academic purposes from whatever source…that should be highly encouraged…I personally benefited a lot from the exchanges with students from other Caribbean territories….

My issue is when foreign students are being recruited solely for the purpose of helping schools win trophies in football or athletics….

Thats fine at the college or university level but in my opinion that signals misplaced priorities at the high school level

In reply to rudebway

Edwin Allen has girls from Trinidad!

In reply to camos

doesnt make it right. but they are feeling the pressure from Hydel. btw, the Clayton twins are from Westmoreland. they didnt just stumble into Clarendon and to the bushes at Frankfield. Someone recruited them. i am cool with local "recruiting"

Back to the boys schools. So i usually attend champs in person, but due to covid last year no spectators. So i had to watch. So, tvj is interviewing a guy from Jamaica College that JC imported from one of the small islands. i cant remember which island. the lady asks him why he picked JC?. Clearly he wasnt ready for that question. He stuttered and stumbled an answer that his school in whatever island was blue, and he likes the color blue. Seriously embarassing. i am thinking. you like blue? well go to Knox or Munro. those are actually BOARDING schools.

In reply to rudebway


Isn't JC a boarding school?

In reply to FanAttick


I would be surprised if schools today are recruiting solely for sports, especially from overseas!

In reply to XDFIX
i thought they closed that? might be wrong


but hey, if he picks a school based on the color, more power to his decision making

In reply to HumbleCalf
That is so true. I remember Vere player scored a goal on us and about 5 kids run on the field shouting "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy".

In reply to carl0002

I have heard stories of Winston Chung-Fah, who recruited players from the inner city and took them to Vere and then CC. He coached the unbeatable Clarendon College team in the late seventies. That team included players like Lenny Hyde, and “Den Den” Hutchinson. There was never even a pretense that the ballers were there for anything else but football. I believe "Teacha" Hyde was starring for Boys Town at the time.

In reply to carl0002

Long Life from Steths had his children and grandchildren running unto the field after every D-Cup game

In reply to carl0002

DWL!

In reply to carl0002

That was actually Zabowl, SIP, from Ruseas, another MoBay baller hired to play at club high schools.

In reply to Slipfeeler
That was real thing boss, they had switched us over to that zone and playing at Vere for the first time.
Steths was also very famous for that sort of thing. I remember Peter Parkins played for Steths while also playing for Kirkvine sports Club and working fulltime at Alcan.

In reply to carl0002

In reply to FanAttick

Long Life didnt like playing away from Steths or outside St Elizabeth for that matter and its not because Steths had a very nice football field and locker room. His kids and grandkids were not allowed to travel with the team.

Meanwhile the school that has recruited almost an entire football academy, goes unnoticed.

In reply to archangel
Which school is that? But it seems these schools need all the help they can get, cuz honestly I look at some highlights of the Ben Francis cup quarter Finals and D-Cup Semis and the quality of play is so poor its depressing. I think too many schools playing the premier competition watering down the quality of play.

In reply to carl0002

maybe you are now exposed to better quality games on a regular basis! in the pro leagues.

In reply to carl0002

Watch out for York Castle

alums are much more generous than the government, if you want things done at the school get a good sport team!

In reply to archangel

If true, good for them! I like their colours.

If my memory serves me right, the only thing York Castle has ever achieved is one year they did well at Schools Challenge.

Time for country schools to step up! If Manchester High can step up, why not YC

In reply to carl0002

Parkin is the name.

In reply to HumbleCalf

They have won Headly Cup back when poster YC67 was playing.

In reply to HumbleCalf
They are top in their group right now.

Funny how things can mushroom and get out of hand when it comes to seeking superiority in Sports.
Back in 60s this became a significant feature when Ben Francis of Vere Technical recruited the
best schoolboy talent he could get..skill Cole,Bob Campbell and others I can't remember.

There is nothing wrong with this ..the caveat though is that Academics should also
be part of the program even if not on parity with Sports skill, Track and Field,Cricket and Soccer.
Youth need the exposure then towards making a mark and chart a career with the vehicle being Sports.
The same is even more critical now in challenging times.
I can say that all many if not all who benefitted have made their contribution in life,post School days.
Many became responsible citizens and fine examples in giving back in some tangible ways too through
National representation and local community .
One wonders if the opportunity was not presented to some of these young people what
their life would be as adults.

I say to the schools do all you can to harness the Youth who may Sports as their best avenue to make a living
and try and inculcate in them the best attributes of citizenship and responsibilty that will make them better
persons not only in sports but in all aspects of life as best they can
for their own betterment in the society be they artisans or academics.
The present times need this and the future will certainly demand such.
It will all be for the best for individuals and country.

In reply to hubert

Word…

There has to be a balance…..