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with the FIFA Goal Project funds, he should be able to get the uwi/jff academy up and running by September 2010. This should allow the class of 2011 u20 footballers to start training there. Then we can look forward to maybe some u17 in September 2011 and then some u23 joining in January 2012.
just from what you have written jamatl anything labelled as an academy and built by 2010 with the idea of training U20 and U17 for their prospective competitions is doomed for failure..
The JFF and most of us need to sit down and think what is the purpose of having a football academy and why do we need one.
Building something at UWI and by 2010 sounds like we are just building another training facility.
If the U20's and U17's do not have somewhere to train sine 98 then what have we been doing at the JFF???? Since then we must have been just trying a ting!!!
Just in the same we as we loosely use the term Technical director mistaking it for coach, its the same way we loosely use the term football academy as we know it to be across the world mistaking it as just another training facility.
Is there a difference between a football academy and a training facility?? Not really when you think in terms of facilities and infrastructure. Relating the issue to cars, an escort and escalade are both cars but the phylosophy behind them is what makes the difference.
I wish you guys would stop supporting the falsehood of Burrell and stop throwing words around giving the impression that someting ah guh happen.
When Burrell talks about his helicopter and why he wants to invest in jets and why he thought it necessary to place a bread shop and grill in ochi he did it with passion, enthusiasm and explained his phylosophy behind his decision.
Since being in charge of the JFF, we have just received games, structures, and sackings and no phylosophy.
That to me is a management that has not got a clue or are not focused on the job at hand and are focused on other things and are just occupying the office and positions they hold.
Burrell has proven he is a man that loves to brag, so let him brag about what this academy will be and why UWI is the ideal location and what was wrong with the last location and at least present a paper trail suggesting accountability coz right now it just look like coaches and staff are either laid off or take a pay cut. Squads are disbanded or cant train bcoz the JFF is lacking funds and can hardly sta afloat him say but dem getting monies fi start another project when they cant even handle the od issues..
kissteet... Unuh fi read between the lines... open up unuh third eye...
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No denying that there is politricks behind Captain Burrell and the JFF.
But if we could at least have one set of youth national team players living, studying and training together, it would be a small step in the right direction.
BY Andre Lowe Observer staff reporter lowea@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
Six years after ground was initially broken in Portmore, St Catherine, for the construction of a football academy by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), work on the controversial project is finally set to get under way as FIFA recently approved a second disbursement of US$400,000 to the JFF under its Goal Project. Burrell... meeting with Blatter went extremely well
Construction of the Academy, which will be established on the campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, is expected to start before the end of this year, with Phase One scheduled for completion within three months.
JFF boss Captain Horace Burrell, who met with FIFA president Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter in Zurich, Switzerland, late last week to iron out the details of the project, confirmed the developments during a discussion with the Observer.
Said Burrell: "I'm very happy to report that the meeting that I had in Zurich with President Blatter about the Academy went extremely well."
Essentially, FIFA has allowed the JFF to convert the ill-fated proposal for an academy in Malvern, St Elizabeth - which was being pursued by the previous administration - to the UWI project which will commence once certain paperwork is forwarded to the world governing body.
"As it is right now we have been requested to forward to FIFA the contract for signing. That is all that is really outstanding at this point. Of course, there are one or two small things to be done, but FIFA has given us the green light to go ahead with our project at the University (of the West Indies, Mona)," Burrell revealed.
The JFF will now move to get the necessary engineering and construction details drafted so that the project can be put to tender as soon as possible, and Burrell stressed that the funds will be placed directly into the hands of whichever contractor is chosen to carry out the project.
"We will be putting forward the contract for signing and, as soon as that is done, then the first US$400,000 will be released. The funds will not be released to the JFF, it is going to be released to the contractors that will be selected to undertake the project at UWI," he confirmed.
Phase One of the project is expected to include the resurfacing of a number of playing fields at UWI and the installation of first-rate irrigation systems.
This stage will also see the erection of perimeter fencing and the construction of restrooms and changing room facilities.
Phase Two of the project, which is expected to get under way in April 2010, will entail the construction of dormitory facilities, among other amenities.
According to Burrell, "I expect to commence Phase One of the project before year-end and it should not take more than another three months after that for it to be completed. So by March of next year Phase One should be behind us.
"That would be tremendous because it has been years since we have been waiting and based on the amount of issues that we have had with the changes, and so on, it's great to see that we're finally moving forward," he added.
After breaking ground for an Academy in Portmore in 2003, the site was later moved to Malvern after the Crenston Boxhill-led administration that wrested power from Burrell during that year's AGM deemed the Portmore site unsuitable for such a project.
Another administration change in 2007 saw the site moved yet again - this time to the UWI campus. However, FIFA had originally requested that the JFF dispense with the Malvern property before a second disbursement was made.
sounds like a waste of time uwi renovation... and I too thought it should be built on separate property until I realized that the us did this too
"The U.S. players live on campus at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and train in the morning under the guidance of Cabrera and assistant coaches Paul Caffrey, Gerson Echeverry, Keith Fulk and Paul Grafer. In the afternoon, the players attend classes at Bradenton Preparatory Academy. While in the full-time residency program, the U.S. not only trains daily under Cabrera, but also has access to the IMG Academy’s spacious facilities. The team regularly uses IMG’s state-of-the-art strength-training facilities, as well as some of the nation’s best sports psychologists that work at the Academy. The IMG Academy includes top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three Bermuda grass fields, an indoor dome with artificial turf, two swimming pools, newly renovated student housing and dining facilities."
so the only thing I would say is build up the training facilties with the specific goal of adding two turf fields due to its prominence in north america and canada
for the stadium they should take the college approach and put a 5 to 10,000 seat bleacher with a press box on one side and leave an open grass (almost picnic) area on the other side so u could seat more people without actually having to build in seats
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Vegas will always be Vegas. That won’t change. Las Vegas will be the market of markets for MLS.
So are we building a training facility to just train different sections of selected teams representing Jamaica (in other words we are moving from shortwood to Mona),or a football academy to teach and train the fundamentals and technicalities of the modern game to individuals of potential that will hopefully make them greater players and great ambassadors for the academy or are we building another stadium so we can tell Stadium officials bout dem ras tafari whenever the JFF feels and as it evidently seems a nice little money earner for the JFF officials?? ( I say officials coz money made by the JFF never seems to make it past the foreign coaches)
In days of old, when it was asked of Burrell to provide infrastructure and football development requesters were themselves requested to get themselves wet by jumping in the sea.
When the same Senor Burrell was on the verge of losing the JFF presidency he somehow became interested in football development announcing funding for a proposed football academy to be sited in Portmore. Burrell's sweetner of a football academy was the norm. A promise to the fans, and comfort to fools. But his plan flopped as he was ejected by Boxjuice.
But I ask who in the JFF have a proper idea of what an academy must provide. Burrell, a very smart person and established businessman showed a total lack of interest in anything to do with football development and Boxhill's attempt to focus on youth took his blueprint straight from the forum.
What is a football academy I ask???
Ok, this is from wikipedia but it will give you the forum and the JFF a path to embark on:
Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young (often local) talent, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams with small budgets. In contrast to most sports in the United States where the collegiate system is responsible for developing young sports people, most football clubs take responsibility for developing their own players of the future.
not exactly the idea of jamatl's..... somewhere for the U20 and U17 teams to train
Most youth systems attached exclusively to one club are often called youth academies. In a youth academy a club will sign multiple players at a very young age and teach them vital skills required to play at that club's standard.
Some of the larger clubs in Europe are regarded as having some of the finest youth academies in the world and often produce many quality talents from their academies. Other clubs such as Grêmio and West Ham United, while not as financially successful as others, have a world class academy. West Ham's youth academy is known as The Academy of Football and has produced many talents that have gone on to play with larger clubs in England.
Another example is lower league clubs who have produced higher quality players through the academy and sold them to keep the club running.
An alternative name for a Youth Academy is "Centre of Excellence". In English football these terms have distinct meanings and are licensed and regulated by The Football Association and The Football League. In Jamaican football these terms nuh mean nutten more than a fancy title and a way of enticing people money.
While similar to youth academies, youth leagues are built into a club competition rather than an individual club. However, the teams that play in these youth leagues are generally attached to a larger senior club. The purpose of these leagues is to give young players experience in proper competition against other players that they will most likely end up playing with or against. The English Premier League is known for having a large youth league attached to its senior clubs.
Youth leagues aren't just exclusive to association football though. The Australian Football League (AFL) has a youth league established underneath its senior league with no attachment to any senior club. The players that play in this competition are then chosen to play for senior clubs through the AFL Draft. The National Football League (NFL) have a similar system involving their college football competitions.
But here is another twist to what a football academy could be
Football Academy and Boarding schools
Football Academy has partnered with some of the Uk's leading independent, co-educational boarding schools for 12 to 18 year olds. Its purpose is to prepare all its pupils to fulfil their potential in higher education and in adult life. Each of the Colleges that we use has the benefit of superb facilities and seeks the highest standards in academic work, music, sport, drama and in all other activities.
We believe that all pursuits should be aimed at bringing about a respect for others, a sense of service to the community and a desire to use individual talents to the full.
Together with such educational institutions we have devised Special programs that will allow students to excel both in their academic and football career.
A football academy with a focus on making monies thru youth development as opposed to a football academy focused on youth development but making monies is not what were are even getting from Burrell. We are just getting another mini stadium/ training facility labelled as a football academy.
With this proposed development being sited on UWI land will their be any disputes as to who owns this training facility??
Will there be any issues of trespassing or access??
Doesn't all facilities purchased with fifa money technically still belong to Fifa as we were informed when Boxhill tried to remortgage the new kingston office.
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this of course would be the goal... since I don't think our u17s have ever qualified for the group stage
"The first full-time U.S. Soccer Residency Program began on January 17, 1999, when U.S. Soccer collected the top 20 of the country’s elite youth players to train year-round at IMG Academy. In its first year of existence, the U.S. Soccer Residency Program produced instant success as the Under-17s qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in New Zealand in November of 1999."
but as for us, this does almost sound like a stadium training facility upgrade but the fact that they're also building a dorm brings us one step closer to finally realizing the academy... but even if it is another stadium upgrade, an easy way to improve the level of football is by hosting tournaments and exposing the players and communities to high quality football and we need atleast 5 quality stadiums to do it, not 2 and a half
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Vegas will always be Vegas. That won’t change. Las Vegas will be the market of markets for MLS.
regardless of phase one or phase 61... Only when you dont know what you are doing is there not a model or plans laying out the vision.
And the way Burrell likes to brag, I cant see how there is not a plan or model on display for all to see and envisage what our gift from fifa will be put into.
Who are the builders, but more importantly who are the architects???
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They make the world so hard
On the 25th August Jamatl mek big noise bout Burrell should get tings in order soon and it would be nice for the U20 and U17's fi get use out of it.
Mi basically asked what academy? All I see is a training ground announcement.
August the 28th around 3.25am Jagga printed a story from Andre Lowe.. stating various tings which included resurfacing existing fields, so not new fields on the land.. Resurfacing.. I suspect bcoz the have money now to dig up the fields and lay irrigation technology. Likkle talking bout phase one and two and the sum of $400G's US.
And someting bout the funds wont be released to the JFF, but straight to the contractor... Fifa monies going straight to the contractor... OK..
On the same day at 9.31am I rubbished that idea once again. And i posted various views of what the football world see as a football academy.
At the same time Metropolis ah throw some talk too, and at 12.52 and 1.31 respectively metropolis and JT responded to Jamatl text that claimed yes JT, there was a blueprint in 2008.
At 1.31 as if Jamatl was on the same computer as me, drop a link for the blueprint.
But Jamatl.. This link is not a blueprint from 2008 and definately not an indication of something planned from 2008 by the JFF.
Mek wi start from the picture. But b4 mi mention the picture, bare in mind that this is a second story in the same newspaper but by another reporter Andrew Hancel and his story buss 10.10pm claiming institute give wider plans for centre of excellence.
Blurtnart... ah could a where them get the new label from.. The must did a read the same wikipedia site I tek it from. And tru dem hear mi a run off mi mouth dem tek it come show mi.. Or maybe its something else..
Looking at the picture Mr. Burrell, the lod dude and the lady Ms Babs is watching the Prof. Shirley, the principal of the UWI show them Burrell's idea, or is it the UWI's idea?? Whose line is it???
Why would the prof. be showing Burrell's idea to Ms. Babs and the fifa dude.. ??? Burrell mussi mek mistake and bring the Portmore blueprint.. The 2008 one Jamatl was talking about and bring the August the 28th 2009 blueprint come show wi!!!!
Cool Jamatl. Mi haffi guh put yu in the same class as carter and jray...
But as u read the story yu can see this is no joke ting.. Expenditure and time plan laid out fi whoever want to hold someone to account. 12.5mil and 2.5 fi di first phase. 2.5 years and over 6acres.. No long argument.. This is business. And the government give the land it says as a UWI initiative just like the Cricket Centre of Excellence over Barbados, they are making a football one here...
And when yu read Mr. Shirley's excitement you can see all of this is geared to teaching and giving individuals a chance to get degrees connected to this new establishment.
"We intend to offer the student-athlete in Jamaica and the Caribbean internationally competitive athletic facilities and programmes while reading for a quality UWI degree," said the professor. That means this is not just for Jamaica. This is a project for the Caribbean. That is why the UNIVERSITY of the CARIBBEAN.. we call it the University of The West Indies is involved. We are getting a facility on the cheap. Fifa money ah build something possibly but the second goal money seems to have no connectoion to the first fifa goal money.
This facilty will host refurbished courts. And he aint talking about court hose for legalities. So we are talking basketball and tennis, and a refurbished cricket ground and all kinda something including swimming and a gym.. This is not a football academy. This is an improved sports facility/labelled Sports Centre of Excellence. A football academy on the cheap bcoz one thing yu cant call the captain and that is a liar.. He said he aint in the business of building infrastructure and that is what he means..
No wonder the protectionist FIFA are not giving the money to the JFF and it is going straight to the contractor... The JFF naw get nutten. This is the UWI doing their thing. OPEN UP UNUH THIRD EYE. READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
Just like the H. Burrell in that TV series The Wire, the captain's hold on the JFF will soon be over.
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They make the world so hard
For those who didn't see what jamatl's 2008 blueprint maybe due to link complications... See it here::
The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, will be the new site for the National Football Academy after two failed attempts.
The announcement came during a press briefing yesterday at the Mona Visitors' Lodge, where the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the university signed a co-operation of agreement.
This means the FIFA Goal Project, the second for Jamaica, will become part of the university's expansive sport enhancement initiative started two years ago, and will see the parties in a partnership arrangement regarding the accessing of facilities.
Preliminary estimates of costs for the academy, which will see the first two phases built on six-and-half acres of land granted by Government, is set at US$2.5 million. The timeline for completion of the project is two-and-half years.
Total estimates of expenditure for the institution's overall sports development is placed at US$12.5 million. In 2003 ground was broken in Portmore, St Catherine, after the first FIFA Gold Project was awarded. But three years later the Captain Horace Burrell-led JFF administration was ousted by Crenston Boxhill, whose team opted to relocate the project to Malvern, St Elizabeth.
Burrell, who was re-elected last November, has since moved to fast-track the Academy which has sparked much debate within local football circles.
But yesterday Burrell, who said the deal was initiated after an informal discussion with Senator Ronald Robinson, was elated by the new developments.
"It's a tremendous day for football," Burrell beamed. "This co-operation is significant because not only are we constructing a training centre, but to go further and raise the bar, and also to think of our young bright footballers being able to get scholarships to come to the university and pursue their education."
Meanwhile, football's world governing body, FIFA, has agreed in principle to the second GOAL Project, while the JFF is likely to receive official authorisation in October. Similar to what has been done with establishing a state-of-the-art Cricket Centre of Excellence at UWI's Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, the Mona Campus will serve as a sport centre for learning at the highest level.
The academy primarily involves three football fields, an academy centre and dormitories to host 54 individuals. One of the fields will be at the centre of a multi-purpose mini-stadium, initially comprising 3,000 seats and including an all-weather mondo track.
Completion of Phase One is expected within six months of commencement.
Speaking at yesterday's function, UWI principal, Professor Gordon Shirley, outlined the vision of the premier university in the island.
Such a move, Shirley said, paves the way to create leaders for inside and outside the classroom.
"We intend to offer the student-athlete in Jamaica and the Caribbean internationally competitive athletic facilities and programmes while reading for a quality UWI degree," said the professor.
According to Shirley, the Mona School of Business will lead several new initiatives, including a new Masters degree in Sports and Events Management.
When finished, student athletes will be able to access a top-quality facility which will include swimming pool; refurbished outdoor facilities for court games; international standardise lighting; an expanded weights room and gymnasium; an upgraded cricket pavilion at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground, and an indoor sports arena.
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They make the world so hard
so it seems that even the classrooms, labs and other ares of uwi have ongoing plans for modernization as well and that the centre of excellence just combines them in a way to help level up our youth development in sports
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Vegas will always be Vegas. That won’t change. Las Vegas will be the market of markets for MLS.
I doubt Fifa even gave a second gold project award. Its not even mentioned on the concacaf website not to mention fifa's website.. Maybe jamatl will find it for us. Or me mentioning this will remind them to put it on the website.
But either way, its no new development. Its just a refurbishment job priced at 2.5 bil. Lets see if fifa ah guh cough up more.
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Registered: 03/25/01
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Respect JT,
I have seen the a downloaded file of the UWI/JFF blueprint but I can not locate at this time. And yes, UWI may have launched the idea before Burrell and the JFF.
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I simply care about the improvement and development of Jamaican football whoever and whereever the ideas come from as long as we get the results(quality players and advancement to world cups).
We all agree that our national team players need to train consistently on international quality playing fields, which we are currently lacking.
