Sports Editorials

EAST HARBOUR VIEW
"THE ROCKY PARK STORY"

Settlement in East Harbour view began sometime in the 1960's. The first phase of the Matalon Housing Development West Harbour view was already occupied by then. A bridge about 100 yards long separated the schemes.

Going easterly along St Thomas Rd from Riverbed were the following landmarks: Caribbean Terrace, Ocean Villa Motel and Restaurant, Harbour view Drive-In Theatre, Coply Drive, Grace Gospel Hall, The Seventh Day Adventist Church, Harbour view Moravian Church and David Vernon’s Place with the swimming pool.

To the north from St Benedicts Church back to Riverbed was a sparsely settled mountain range which actually ran all the way to August Town, encompassing the famous Wareika Hills of Rockfort, as well as the prestigious Beverly Hills.

Across from the Drive-In Theatre, Lunar Drive runs perpendicular to St Thomas Road and a block up intersects with Mars Drive then continuing up towards the hills after intersecting Southern Cross Drive. An ‘Open Land’ originally existed in the area bordered by Lunar, Mars and Southern Cross Drive. It was bush before the youngsters of the neighborhood cleared it to make what became the Home of Rocky Park Youth Club.

From as early as I can remember growing up in East Harbour view, dubbed “Over The River” boys from primary school age to grown men over 35 years were playing football. It was the “Social Staple” of the community’s diet. It was the cohesive force that kept residents bonded, more like family.

Organized football in that era developed from roads combining to form teams to Zone competitions and later to the Mini League competition. The Solar System was one of the early-organized teams from this side.

Names like: Glen Archer, Cecil Love, Ernest Bailey, Lawrence Long, Bob Ralph, Ludlow Pryce and Nyron Johnson.

Harbour view as a community had entered the Desnoes & Geddes Sponsored Minor League Competition for the first time in 1963. Each Year a few selections came from “Over The River. Names like: Devon Armstrong nephew of “Jimmy Harder”, Orville “Yam Head” Turner and Arnie Bedassie, were among the selectees of earlier years.

There was also an under 16 competition that the community entered. Eventually this league became the selection source for the Minor League.

Coach ”Blackie” became prominent during this period bringing into public view players like: Michael Campbell, “Peter Head”, and Peter Bailey.

Another Era featured names like: Michael Smith, Kenington Jiscombe, “Jubba”, “Bird”, “Sacks”, Conrad, “Balance”, Butto Robinson, Willie McLean. All were Manning, or DaCosta Cup Players. There were also others.

East / West Harbour view rivalry always existed in football, however it was accentuated in the era of the Mini League Competition which officially got underway in 1976. It was this competition, which gave birth to Rocky Park. Harbour view Football Club had entered the Major League Competition in 1974. Many “View” players were representing their high schools in Manning or DaCosta Cup. This created a football stir in Harbour view, which moved several individuals to organize teams.

The original Rocky Park team was organized when Donovan “One Left” Francis, Vivian “Skibo” Pryce, Anthony “Twingy” McPherson and myself Dennis “Juggu” Johnson got together.

Our first set of Jerseys were dyed blue from white T-shirts that each of us brought. The activity took place at the home of brothers David and Orville Blake.

That original team only played a few friendly games against the teams from the other side.

Soon after Evrad “Milo” Roper and Dennis Johnson discussed the organization of a league.

Then other players got involved and before long the first year of the Mini League was underway.

Rocky Park first formal meeting took place at 2 Southern Cross Drive, the home of Sonny and Sheila Bradshaw.

When we outgrew that facility we moved to “Daddy Philips” place at Venus Ave. For a short period we used Mrs. Robinson Basic School further down Venus Ave.

We were an organized group. Dennis Johnson conducted the training for the first couple of years until we got Barry Daley into our Camp. He coached the unbeaten under 19 team of 1978.

Lester Francis, B. Bryan, D. Johnson, J. Williams, J. Brown, Donovan Allen, A. McPherson, M. Calnick, Gary Parks, A. Callen, P. Murphy, D. Francis, A. Sterling, A. Bernard, D. White, H. Dennis, and C. McDonald.

The highlight of that era the under 19 Season of 1978. Rocky Park emerged the Unbeaten Champions under the Captaincy of Vivian “Skibo” Pryce.

A. Bedassie, Wesley Senior, Ainsworth Henry, Randy McFarlane, Vivian Pryce, Dave Hunter, Michael Calnick, Wayne Hunter, Lester Francis, Denzel Grange, Junior Williams, Dennis Johnson, Flabba, Horse head, Gully, Tony Martin, Twingy, C-Roy, Duck, and J. Cousins.

That year we were up against name brand imported players like: - Douglas Bell, Junior Grover, Clennon Clarke, Peter Burgess, Heineken, “Magic Head” and local stars like Derek “Ricky” Roberts, Keith Cunningham, “Little DV”, Milo, Babba, Anthony Weise who went to Beckenbaur F.C., and a host of other players.

Rocky Park held its own and defeated all the Star Studded teams. We Played like a team and functioned like a family and created this very special memory.......................................

Until the Jackie Walter led Under 17 team recently defeated the USA in a tournament, Jamaica has never beaten the USA at any level.

What is the reason for this? We view ourselves as a soccer-playing nation, yet USA who we look on with disdain consistently beat us!

If a supposedly inferior soccer playing Nation beats us repeatedly, it’s time to take stock and find out why. We can’t keep burying our collective heads in the sand and not realize the reason why!

The USA recently beat Jamaica on February 12th 2003 on the new surface of the National Stadium 2-1 with a very young inexperience team. Bruce Arena the coach consistently picks a lot of different players for preparation and grooming before eliminations starts for the 2006 World Cup; these players will then be incorporated with the overseas-based players. He realizes that he needs a big pool of hungry players that will sweat and play with pride and poise for their country.

I have found that Jamaican doesn’t have the burning fire in their guts that pride in our country and our flag and it runs throughout our society. We would rather be American than Jamaican. If the clothes are not from America and with a designer name Jamaicans don’t want it. We don’t believe in that old slogan “BE JAMAICAN, BUY JAMAICAN”.

You now must be saying, “What is he talking about, isn’t this supposed to be an article on football, what does being Jamaican have to do with it”. Let me tell you it has every thing to do with it. First and foremost, take a look at America; they do not have the abundance of raw material (talent) that we have. But as the immortal Bob Marley had quoted in song the Ethiopian proverb “In the abundance of water the fool is thirsty”.

I repeat look at America, what are they doing that we are not doing. They have a coaching school, which was started in 1969 by Dettmar Cramer, FIFA Instructor from Germany, who at that time had left Bayern Munich F.C. to start the coaching school in the USA, and in 1975 he was the one who started the FIFA coaching seminars. Prior to leaving Bayern Munich he was an Instructor at the Football School in Koln. The USA coaching school did not develop a German coaching philosophy; it developed an American coaching philosophy. What is a philosophy? It is something that embodies the spirit and culture of the people. It is something that doesn’t ask a horse to be a donkey. It is something that brings out the best in you. It is something that maximizes your potentials.

The USA fired Bora Milinitovic not because he was a bad coach, but because he refused to work in the coaching school. He was not spreading his knowledge to the masses of coaches that yearly passes through the coaching school. Knowledge kept in a small circle helps no one! The masses must be educated or you will produce a community of fools.

I think Jamaica’s biggest problem lies in the lack of a national philosophy. Brazilian, Germans, Dutch, Italians, English, Argentineans etc. has a national philosophy, and they have grown up in that culture and philosophy of playing football, and even if they go overseas and play, when they come home to their national team, there is no conflict because they know what is expected of them.

In Jamaica, we believe that going overseas to England and getting pros to come in and play makes a team. We have to blend three different ways of thinking; those who play in Jamaica, those who play in America and those who play in England, and that’s no easy task.

Another thing we could learn from America is the love of country and flag. An American is fiercely loyal to country and flag; they will die for it when they put on that uniform. To a Jamaican, it’s just another day’s work, and it reflects in our play.

The American Coaching School have produced their last two national coaches, Steve Sampson at the 1998 World Cup, who is now coaching the Costa Rican National Team and Bruce Arena at the 2002 World Cup that reach the Quarter Finals against Germany. If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, if you teach him to fish you feed him for a lifetime!!! The Americans are feed for a lifetime because they are producing coaches that will perpetuate their philosophy and feel for the game from a personal level of being American born and bred.

This is what Jamaica need, qualified Jamaicans running the football programs, but only when they have qualified themselves, by passing coaching courses specifically designed for Jamaicans, and prove it practically on the field by winning championships. Bruce Arena has been successful at every level; having won at the youth level, the college level, the MSL level winning multiple championships at all these levels, has run a successful Olympic program, and now a successful National program.

We need a coaching school with a qualified instructor at the helm, to develop a national philosophy that is uniquely Jamaican. Coaches need to be licensed to coach, and they must attend refresher courses every five years to retain their license. They need to attend regular seminars that counts as training units if they are to coach. Seminars only gives out information without requiring an examination, Courses requires Physical, Oral and Written exams. If you can’t pass an examination you should not be allowed to coach.

In America, the coaches at all levels are either State License or National License; therefore, from the youth to the seniors there is a common thread --- One Philosophy!!!

The development of our young players rest solely in the hands of our coaches, but the question is begging, do we have these coaches around? The newly elected administration of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has included youth development as part of its manifesto. This development process should focus on the deficiencies of our youth coaches and seek to bring them to an acceptable level of competence.

Too often we see coaches in charge of eight to twelve year olds, conducting training sessions better suited for an older age group. The fact that most of these youngsters cannot execute the drills, does not contribute much to their development. Training at the youth level should be age-specific, which would include understanding the physiology and psychology of the different age groups.

Coaches who are actively involved in youth coaching should endeavor to acquire as much information to improve their coaching skills. It is very important that our best coaches be assigned to our youth programs. It stands to reason that teaching our youngsters proper technique, will eventually produce better players, but this will only happen if we have coaches who understand a more progressive and enlightened way of teaching the skills of the game.

Another area where coaches are falling down, is allowing young players to participate in 11v11 games. This does nothing for these players, as it does not afford them the amount of touches of the ball that is necessary for their development. These coaches would be better advised to engage their players in more 4v4 small-sided games, which would allow them to participate more.

At the youth level, coaches should focus less on winning and more on development. A solution and a way to encourage this, are to have tournaments that do not focus on winning a prize, but more for fun and enjoyment.

I have no doubt that the JFF in their development plan recognizes the need for more competent coaches at the youth level, and there is no better time than now to start the process. In so doing, our local coaches will be brought up to standard with coaches around the world.