THE WOLMER’S Boys’ School Under-14 football team’s unbeaten run in the 2023 season was no fluke and could lead to bigger power shifts in schoolboy football in years to come.
A multifaceted team, led by coach Haron Martin, lifted the Burger King/ISSA Under-14 title with a spirited performance, a goal from Ramesh Simms sealing the deal in the final against Excelsior High School.
They would go on to thump St Elizabeth Technical High School in the all-island final.
Last year, Wolmer’s were beaten in the quarterfinal round, and though disappointed, they regrouped, deciding to pull out all the stops to win the coveted title this year.
According to Martin, the technical team at Wolmer’s, led by four-time Jamaica Premier League (JPL)-winning coach Jerome Waite, started pre-season training early to ensure that they spent more time developing the players.
“Pre-season training started in June. We did more physical work to develop the strength of the players and to ensure that the chemistry between the players was there. As you can see, this decision bore fruit this season,” Martin said.
Martin, in his third year at Wolmer’s and in his first year as head coach of the under-14 team, said that they chose players from the inter-form competitions but also invited other players to be part of the squad.
Of the players in this year’s team, eight or nine came from a development squad, with former players moving on to the under-16 level.
“We do not leave any player behind. If they are not a part of the team, they are drafted into our development squad. So we have an A and B team. Most of the players on this year’s winning team were a part of the development squad from last year and the previous year,” Martin said.
The team’s captain, KeVaughn Halloway, Simms, Roshane Jeffery, and Shaquan Small were also members of the Constant Spring football team that lifted the KSAFA-Under-13 trophy and are also coached by Martin.
“I try to ensure that as many of my players as possible keep training. Apart from playing for the school team, I encourage them to play for an academy team so that they can continue training during the offseason. Training alone at Wolmer’s will not do it,” said Martin.
IMPRESSIVE RÉSUMÉ
Martin has had an impressive résumé as an age-group coach, winning the prep school double (Alberga and Henriques cups) as a player at Lannaman’s Preparatory School before returning to repeat the feat as coach.
As head coach at Kingston College, he won the Pepsi Under-14 title and was the assistant coach in 2016 when the North-Street based institution won the Walker Cup. He was also assistant coach when Kingston College lifted the Flow Super Cup in 2017.
He is also technical director of Norbrook Strikers Academy.
“I am so happy and elated that the Wolmer’s team won this year. It is an overwhelming feeling as it has always been a dream of mine, if the opportunity came, to coach at Wolmer’s. They are a structured institution, and I would like to extend thanks to the school’s principal, Mr Dwight Pennicooke, and my assistant coach, Romone Lewis, who was also a student and player at Wolmer’s,” said Martin.
Martin also recognised the efforts of goalkeeper coach Lamar Brown and other team members including Orlando Clarke and Courtney Dowdie. He also thanked the effort of the managers, Kurt Boothe and Julian Lewis, and the parents, he said, played a critical role in ensuring that he was able to focus on making the team a success.
“This season, all I had to do was concentrate on coaching, the managers and parents played a great role in ensuring that I got the job done,” Martin said.
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December 26, 2023 at 12:09PM
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