Lettman to coach Reggae Girlz at CAC Games

Leacroft Lettman, U20 Reggae Girlz head coach, will serve as interim coach for the senior Reggae Girlz at the upcoming Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in the absence of Hubert Busby, who will miss the competition due to family commitment.

Speaking at a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) press conference yesterday, Busby confirmed he will work in an advisory role for the CAC Games, with Lettman chosen to take the reigns.

“I will not be with the group,” Busby said.

“Coach Lettman will be the head coach of the group and I will continue to work with them in an advisory role, but I will not be with the group due to previous family commitments.

“I’m still here for the group and we’ll continue to work together leading up to and through the [CAC] Games with Coach Lettman.”

It will be Lettman’s first time leading the senior team, but the experienced coach is no stranger to the national programme.

Lettman has worked alongside Busby in the past and also worked with former Reggae Girlz head coach Xavier Gilbert.

He said these experiences leave him confident in his ability to step into the interim role.

“I’ve been working closely with coach Busby. I’ve been at the senior team training sessions in Kingston and presently, when they were in Montego Bay, I’m at the training,” he said.

“I was with some of the Girlz with Xavier when we went to Panama and Guatemala to play, so I have some little familiarisation with those girls.”

With several of Jamaica’s key players unavailable for selection due to club commitments, Lettman will lead a charge of young players at the CAC Games.

He previously managed Jamaica’s U17 and U20 women’s team, meaning several players in the squad have already worked under him during their development.

Lettman believes this only adds to his familiarity with the squad and justifies his selection as interim head coach.

“There is a transition from the U17 to the U20 and then into the senior group,” Lettman explained.

“As coaches within the female programme, we work very closely together as one coaching unit.”

BEST FOOT FORWARD

Despite the absences of several key players as well as Busby, Lettman says he still expects a strong performance from the team.

He said representing the national team is always an honour, and players are expected to put their best foot forward at all times.

“Once we’re in the seat of the national programme, we always tend to put our best foot forward with whichever players we have to work with,” he said.

“We want to get the camaraderie together and also understand the mindset of the players. We have to ensure everyone understands what we want from this tournament.”

However, Jamaica does not hold the best record at the CAC Games, with only one win in six games across two appearances at the competition.

The Girlz will start their campaign in Group B, alongside Mexico, Colombia and Puerto Rico.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com