Plotting for a consistently good Reggae Girlz

Kudos to the Jamaica women’s football team for reaching their second successive World Cup. When this column was being written, they were yet to play Canada in the semi-finals. Irrespective of the outcome, the Reggae Girlz have done Jamaica proud and brought back fervour and excitement to more than just the diehard fans.

This is the best run any national football team has ever had. On the eve of the World Athletics Championships, the women’s football team has brought pride and joy to a nation which few sports outside of track and field have been able to do in the recent past.

What was refreshing was the open, attacking play, devoid in the men’s game. Intelligent attacks coupled with coherent game plans proved that if you shoot at goal you may actually score. Less time was spent passing the ball from the centre line to one’s own goalkeeper in exchange for piercing runs and lateral passing of the ball. Granted, the standards are different and indeed when facing the world’s top team, the USA, the Girlz were unable to show much attack, but the imagination and positive play were nonetheless refreshing. Equally appealing, was the hunger to score more, rather than try to sit on a single goal lead that we see so often with the other football teams.

Also impressive was how the girls have managed without a large local league, a consistent coach, any meaningful financial support, and apparently very little indulgence from the parent governing body.

Many have pointed to the vast numbers of players who neither play locally, nor have even been to Jamaica with any regularity. This is not too dissimilar to what the male team had resorted to in the past few years.

However, what was evident was that without consistent support from a management team, the Girlz have been able to galvanise behind the flag and come out fighting for their country. Perhaps more than a coach, it was the mentor, Cedella Marley, who was able to extract this quality from all of the girls.

Be that as it may, it is imperative that we utilise every member of the World Cup-bound team to establish women’s football in Jamaica. They must be elevated to sporting ambassadors to the extent that their faces and names are recognisable by every Jamaican.

Having elevated them to hero status, they must follow a structured plan to introduce women and girls to football in every primary and high school.

Establishment of a substantive local league must be the priority of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF). Knowing how financially draining it is to maintain a premier football club team in Jamaica, funding must be sought to subsidise these very clubs to have a women’s programme that develops the game rather than just having a set of females participating.

The Government too must get involved in celebrating the achievements of the Reggae Girlz, and encouraging the aspirations of any budding Jamaican female football player, by assisting in establishing this structure.

Whereas the Sunshine Girls, the high-flying Jamaican National Netball team, have demonstrated how a woman’s sport can be led in an organised manner across the entire country, few other sports have been able to demonstrate this.

Indeed, there used to be separation in the governance of male and female sporting teams within the same sport.

Sensibly, many of these separate organisations merged such that the Jamaica Cricket Association took charge of women’s cricket, Jamaica Hockey Association took charge of women’s hockey, just as the JFF has responsibility for women’s football.

Unfortunately, the women seemed to have always come out worse off in these mergers, with very little resources and attention paid to their sport.

The inspiration given by the Jamaica women’s football team must spread beyond the sport in Jamaica. But insofar as they are concerned, it is time for some permanency to be brought to their management structure, support staff, and financial support if they are to continue to climb the ladder.

Unlike cricket, we cannot afford to feel that the girls have arrived and do not need to keep up with advances in the sport. As wide as the gap between the USA and Jamaica may be in women’s football, we must harness all the talent available across the globe to ensure that the game is properly structured and played throughout the length and breadth of Jamaica to close the gap with home-grown talent.

Kudos to coach Lorne Donaldson and to all members of the Reggae Girlz team for bringing pride and joy to those thirsting for football success.

Let us support their efforts, not just by cheering them during the World Cup, but also by helping them along afterwards with whatever support we can offer individually, collectively, or corporately.

Their collective effort to play as one team as opposed to 11 individuals is a shining example of what can be achieved when people unite. Walk proud, Reggae Girlz. You are a national treasure.

Sport Pulse and Sport Matters are fortnightly columns highlighting advances that impact Sport. We look forward to your continued readership.

Dr Akshai Mansingh is Dean, Faculty of Sport, UWI. He can be reached at akshai.mansingh@uwi.edu