“Future” in focus as National U14s prepare for CFU Series

A 20-member National Boys’ Under-14 team will soon jet off for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, as they compete in Tier II of this year’s Caribbean Football Union (CFU) U14 Challenge series.
Guyana has been drawn in Group C of Tier II alongside Montserrat, Anguilla, and the Bahamas, as they make their way to the top spot in that tier.
As preparations continue at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) National Training Centre (NTC), Jamal Pedro, who will be making his maiden voyage as the team’s Head Coach, discussed their groundwork thus far.
“So far, we’ve been progressing very well,” Pedro told this publication. “Several weeks we’ve been working on youth development, so basically, we’re just focusing on the basics and getting them familiar with the basic principles of football because we’re looking at the long haul, even though we’re preparing to travel for a tournament. We’re looking at this bunch and how we could help them to grow, develop and, in the long run, contribute to the national team.”
According to the Federation, the U14 preparation has fallen under the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), on which Pedro offered some more insight.
Pedro divulged, “FIFA would’ve contributed to our preparation by providing a lot of information and insight as it relates to how to deal with youth development. Like I would’ve mentioned, we focused on the basics. It’s not just working on a team to go out there and win a tournament but to help them to grow and become better, not just football players but youngsters. As they grow to become adults, instil principles that will help them in life.”
“We’re looking at how we could help these players to become better players that could contribute to the Golden Jaguars,” he highlighted.
Breaking down some of the technical work that has been covered in the national camp, the renowned youth coach discussed how the ongoing youth ensemble programme contributed.
“One of the things that have contributed to the success in this team is the youth ensemble that has been playing. That contributed to players having a lot of exposure playing in games and playing under various clubs,” Pedro admitted.
The U14 Head Coach went on to state, “Some of the things, though, that we would’ve had to instil are the basic understanding of their positions, what is required of them, and technique – passing, moving, and receiving on the back foot. Some of these things, we see an improvement in this group because of the games they would’ve played and what they’ve been exposed to.”
With the Girls’ U14 National team making it to the semi-final stage of the same competition last year, Pedro shared how their success has impacted the Boys’ team.
“It’s evident that the work that we would’ve been doing thus far has continued to grow. You’re seeing it; it’s spiralling up,” he shared.
Pedro responded to enquiries about whether or not the girls’ performance has influenced their male colleagues: “And yes, we would’ve done some reflection on what we’ve done in the past and been making changes to contribute to things becoming better. So, yes.”
The Junior Jaguars will take on Montserrat on Sunday, August 16, in their first encounter of the competition, after which they will battle Anguilla and the Bahamas on Monday, August 17, and Wednesday, August 19, in order to make a case for the knockout stages.