GFF/NAMILCO Under-17 league breeding ground for National players

Fourteen of the sixteen shortlisted national U-15 players representing Guyana in the Claude Elise Under-15 football Tournament in French Guiana are players involved in the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 tournament.

This follows the twenty-one (21) of the twenty-seven (27) initially shortlisted for encampment who played for various clubs across Guyana. It is also evidence of the impact of the national tournament on the development of the base of youth football for which national team selection can be premise on.
Troni Semple, who plays in the forward position and would have reportedly scored nine goals in the tournament thus far, said the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 tournament motivated him to perform well on the field. “Before the start of the tournament, there was a presentation about the (tournament). They had said they will be (selecting) players from the tournament according to how well you play to go on the national team…it was a wonderful experience for me and I will be a better player.”
Meanwhile, the Buxton United FC player said that being on the national team has been a learning experience. “It is very new to my knowledge. I’ve learned a lot of stuff and approaches. TD (Technical Director), Coach Bryan (Joseph), Coach Challus (Mc Kinnon) (are) very great coaches, they’ve taught me a lot so far for these past five days. I have learned a lot of new stretches, warm ups, new game play, new set for shape and attacking – diamond – I usually play with triangle.”
Another player who plays in the forward position, Jermaine Garrett, said the movement from the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 tournament to the national team has been good. “I’ve improved a lot on my skills, my attacking and defending. In the national team, it is very disciplined…”
The positive and direct winger, who is the brother of National U-17 captain, Jeremy Garrett, said his older brother inspires him. “I’ve always wanted to follow him, I’ve always wanted to play like him. We play (in) different positions but I just have to keep working hard like him in school and football and become just like him.”
Finding the discipline and balance between football and education is also a priority among the parents of the squad members. In an invited comment following the parent-player meeting just before the team’s departure, Loyce Adonis, mother of commanding goalkeeper Shawn Adonis noted: “He (Shawn) has a balance, he goes to lessons from Monday to Friday. (The) days he plays are Saturday and Sunday and Sunday he has to be home by 18:00h. If he can’t balance, he can’t play, that’s just my rules. He has to learn to balance himself…education is important; as long as you cannot balance yourself, you cannot play.”
While some players were shortlisted, others were not but like GFF’s President, Wayne Forde said at the parent-player meeting, “…take this as an inspiration for you to work even harder… it is not the end of the road…” One of the team members who was not selected to travel but, from all accounts, is a talented and creative forward is Daniel Lowe. At eleven (11) years old, he was the youngest in the squad. His father, Christopher Lowe, in sharing his thoughts about the camp noted that “everything was done really well, I was so impressed that the TD (Technical Director) came and brought a different standard to soccer in Guyana.”
Lowe, while stating Daniel will put in the required work to be shortlisted in the future, underscored the importance of parental support. “Once the child has a dream, always put it first because it is very important. If they fail or not, it is always important for them to try. If they have a dream, let them try it. Go as a parent with your best ability and work as you have to make them at least try.”
Commenting on the future, Ian Greenwood, Technical Director, said, “Everything is geared at 2017 – CONCACAF Tournament – so all the players that didn’t make the squad at this moment in time will be returning to the training camp for the tournament. We will continue to monitor these players and also be looking for other players that we have not seen on the trials so throughout the year, the U-15 will be constantly addressed…”
The nation-wide GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Intra-Association U-17 Tournament, is a five (5)-year partnership between the GFF Inc. and the National Milling Company, that will see an investment of thirty million dollars (G$30,000,000.00) by the Company over that period. The tournament is a key component of the Executive Committee’s strategic objective in its youth development thrust. This new model emphasizes three essential goals:
1. To streamline sponsorship agreements beyond Executive Cycles.
2. To ensure that consistent youth football at all levels are played in each Association throughout the year.
3. To enable the establishment of Academy Training Centers (ATC) in each Association that will facilitate growth and development of Elite Coaches and Elite Players.
In an invited comment, President Forde noted; “we are consciously laying a deep foundation for consistent, long-term technical development of Coaches and Players. This will not pay immediate dividend; however, it will require us all to exercise patience, discipline and belief in the vision that we can be the strongest football nation within the CFU.”