KEEP THE FOCUS

Interim assistant national coach Miguel Coley has issued a strong and timely message to Jamaica’s emerging football talent, urging them to remain disciplined, committed to their craft, and mindful of choices that could derail promising careers.

Coley, an assistant coach with Zakho Sports Club in Iraq, said that off-the-field responsibilities, particularly becoming fathers at a very young age, often place an unnecessary burden on players who are still trying to establish themselves in the game.

“My advice to the young players who want to make it to international level, I think that they should avoid being babyfathers because that takes away a lot from their football,” said Coley.

“That responsibility is something that they should avoid and really concentrate on their football. I have been in Jamaica and seen these young talents having one babymother, two babymothers, and many times this destroys their young career.”

Coley, who led Jamaica College to five straight Manning Cup and Olivier Shield titles, noted there is an abundance of talent across the island, but many young players fail to reach their full potential because they are unable to maintain focus and mental strength during their formative years.

“I think that they need to stay focused and develop their mental tenacity, because that is very important,” he stated. Coley also highlighted the lack of meaningful playing time for many young prospects as another major obstacle to development.

He underscored that short substitute appearances are not enough for players to grow, especially during critical stages of their careers.

“I think that sometimes many of our young players are not getting playing time to develop, because many of them are getting 10 or 15 minutes, and that is not enough time on the field for a young player,” Coley pointed out.

“I see Arnett Gardens giving young Giovanni Taylor a lot of playing time and that is great. Those minutes are what the players need to go to the next level, especially at a young age — 16, 17 and 18. Those players need to be playing week in week out,, getting good minutes under their belts,” he said.

Coley outlined that developing top-level footballers requires more than just raw ability, pointing to the importance of environment, guidance, and structured support systems.

“I think it takes a community to develop a quality talent, and it doesn’t necessarily mean where they are from or where they are living; but the people around them are very important in terms of developing a quality player who can be a world beater and do well for a long period of time at the international level,” he stressed.

Coley also called on stakeholders within the sport to play a greater role in nurturing young players, stating that proper investment is crucial to the long-term growth of football in Jamaica.

“I believe that we have to invest properly in quality players in terms of a quality programme, quality people around; I think that is very important. I think investors or companies need to invest in quality players, because this is one of the ways in which we are going to help to grow the sport in Jamaica.”