October schoolboy football return is possible - Jacobs
Published:Wednesday | August 18, 2021 | 12:09 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
NATIONAL PARENT-TEACHER Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) vice-president, Stewart Jacobs, says that a pathway to the return of schoolboy football this season is possible if ISSA can guarantee adequate measures to minimise COVID-19 challenges.
His comments come as ISSA is continuing with plans for the high school football competitions to begin in October. The 2020 season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it 21 months since the last competitive schoolboy football game was played (2019 Olivier Shield final).
FORGING AHEAD WITH PREPARATIONS
In a Sunday Gleaner interview on August 15, ISSA’s president, Keith Wellington, said that while they are monitoring the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, they are forging ahead with their own preparations to hopefully get a season going this year.
Jacobs says that the association would not have a problem with schoolboy football coming back, provided that they can replicate safety protocols which allowed the staging of this year’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) last May.
“They did an excellent job as far as Champs was concerned, where they did the utmost best to protect the athletes and out of Champs, they weren’t any spikes as what is happening with the parties now,” Jacobs told The Gleaner. “But if they can replicate what they did at Champs then certainly they have the support of the NPTAJ as far as the resumption of sports in schools for this school year (is concerned).”
The country is in the midst of a third wave, with 630 new cases reported on Monday, nine more fatalities and the positivity rate now at 41.6 percent. Since August, nearly 6,000 persons have tested positive for the virus.
Jacobs says that ISSA can gather inspiration from what Jamaica’s top-flight Premier League has done this season, to build a framework that will be acceptable for all stakeholders. Additionally, he said that vaccination will have to be at the forefront of the strategy to get the necessary approval.
“I think what ISSA needs to do now is to look to what other jurisdictions have done to resume sports. They could look at what the Jamaica Premier League has done where you have the game being played with no spectators. Instead of a lengthy season, you have a shortened season so at least the student-athletes are exposed,” Jacobs said.
“And they do their best to ensure those who are officiating these games are vaccinated; to encourage teams and players to get themselves protected and allow the natural course of things to happen. So I say I would support whatever ISSA is going to do as long as they continue to make good sense prevail.”
St George’s College’s coach, Marcel Gayle, says that getting the parents to be comfortable and agreeable to any potential framework will be key, but he is also exercising caution because of the recent surge in cases.
“If the proper protocols are in place and we as coaches can monitor the situation as best as possible then football can be played,” Gayle said. “It’s going to take a team effort in the sense of parents, coach, school administrators and the Government. But again we do not want to take any risk with lives, especially the students.”