They want youngsters that will adapt well to their playing system. These players are expected to raise the calibre of the Jamaican national team in future

Montego Bay United FC has promised to heavily invest in their Youth Academy programme. In a press conference, the ex-premier league champions revealed that they will be pumping $10 million (annually) into the programme.

This investment is coming after the MBU was bought by new owners. The owners officially launched the academy yesterday. The club officials were speaking at the Itel BPO boardroom in Montego Bay, St James.

According to Yoni Epstein, the MBU FC Chairman, their goal is to have approximately 150 children in the program. The kids are expected to be aged between five and 17 years old.

He revealed that 40 per cent of the academy will be available to paying members while sixty per cent will accommodate non-paying members. Epstein confirmed that the academy will funded by the sponsors and the paying members. This system will allow the club to develop talented youngsters who come from poor backgrounds.

Sulaiman Nunes, the head coach of the MBU Youth Programme, said that the academy will focus on developing skills and elite mentality. The UK-born coach said that developing youngsters is more important than winning matches. Nunes revealed that they want their students to be key members of society even if they don’t end up as footballers.

Nunes revealed that they will use scouts to recruit talented kids in primary and secondary schools. He also revealed that they will use grassroot competitions to identify raw talents. He said that tactical skills, technical skills, psychological skills and social skills and psychological should be nurtured at a young age.

Over the years, experts and sports scientists have released findings that confirmed that athlete development should begin between the ages of five and 11. The findings revealed that this is the age that the human body is most receptive to new skills. Nunes said that they don’t want to begin with 12-year-olds because they’ve already developed bad habits. Nunes wants players that will adapt well to their playing system. These players are expected to raise the calibre of the Jamaican national team.

The $10 million will be used to fund technological materials, salaries for coaching staff and other individuals coming in to assist.

Dr Germaine Spencer, the club’s president, revealed that the academy will operate differently compared to others like Mount Pleasant. He revealed that they have invested heavily in technology. Parents will receive a report card that will uses a system known as VEO. The report card will advise parents on what they can do to help in the improvement of their kids.

The academy will run from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The players will begin their training from 8 a.m. to 10 10 a.m. on Saturdays.