Former national player adds Touch of Class Academy to training school
Published:Thursday | August 31, 2023 | 12:10 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
FORMER JAMAICA Premier League champion and Reggae Boy Richard Edwards is basking in the excitement of launching his football academy, Touch of Class Academy in Canada.
Edwards, who retired from football in 2012, is expanding on the idea behind Touch of Class Training School, which he created in 2020.
“It’s an exciting feeling, and I’m elated with the fact that now I’m in a better position and more equipped to help the next generation of future stars. The difference between both entities is that the training school entails the technical aspect, and the academy will consist of more team-oriented programmes as it is more from a philosophical standpoint,” he shared.
The Touch of Class Academy will cater to players from ages five-17, with the three-time Premier League winner explaining that that period of time is very important to a player’s development.
“We’ll start from ages five to 17. We have coaches that have a niche for the younger age group, so by the time they get to age 10, I’ll be the one to help take them to the next level of their development,” said Edwards.
Edwards will also be partnered by his wife, Christa Edwards, who will fill the role of administrator.
LIFE EXPERIENCES
“This has become heavily embedded in who we are because of Richie’s own life experiences. He didn’t have all the tools he needed as talented as he was. So,we want to be able to assist the general Canadian public and the players who really want to get to the stage that they want to reach, so this is really personal to us,” said Christa.
Edwards, who featured in 36 matches for the Reggae Boyz, also wishes to replicate Touch of Class on local soil.
“It’s something that I’ve been in discussion with some of my past teammates because they’re on the ground. Ideally, Jamaica is loaded with talent, and the only thing they want is an opportunity to showcase that talent, and if I can assist in any way, shape, or form to give them the opportunity that I didn’t have, then I’m all in,” said Edwards.