Jamaica College TD embraces pressure

Newly appointed Jamaica College (JC) Manning Cup Technical Director Jason Henry says he understands the high expectations that come with leading one of Jamaica’s most successful schoolboy football programmes, but insists he is not feeling pressured to deliver the title this season.

Henry, who has been part of JC’s football programme for the past five years as head of physical performance, replaced Davion Ferguson, who resigned as technical director in May. JC finished runners-up in last year’s Manning Cup after a 2-0 loss to Excelsior in the final at the National Stadium.

Henry said the expectations surrounding the position are a natural consequence of JC’s rich history in the competition.

“Be honest, I would say there isn’t any pressure on me, but it is mostly expectations that a Jamaica College job will bring,” Henry said. “Any coach that gets this job, it is not about pressure; it is just the calibre of what the school expects in terms of the Manning Cup.

“A school that won 32 Manning Cup titles, any coach that goes in there is expected to perform,” he said. “The intention of the institution as it relates to the Manning Cup, you have to have that expectation that they would want to win.”

JC have won a record 32 Manning Cup titles and, according to Henry, success is always expected at the institution.

“Of course, we want to win the title, because I am not going to be delusional and say JC does not want to win,” he said. “Any coach who goes there, they expect you to do your best and hope that you win.

“I am looking at it as pressure. I am going there as the man who is in the hot seat at Jamaica College, to put out our best and do our best, and let the results speak for themselves.”

Henry also highlighted that he has received the full backing of the school’s administration, including principal Wayne Robinson, manager Ian Forbes, the wider management team, and the old boys’ network.

“The support from everyone is 100 per cent, from the principal, the manager Ian Forbes and the rest of the management team, and all the old boys, whether directly or indirectly, have been supporting us,” he said.

“It is a programme that is well supported right across the board. Not everything is going to be okay at every given time, but the management team always does whatever they need to do to get the job done.”

Henry will oversee a squad that has undergone significant changes, with nine first-team players from last season no longer available.

However, he does not view the situation as a rebuilding exercise, citing the strength of JC’s youth system and the steady transition of players through the programme.

“We will be there in the Manning Cup, but obviously, we lost nine first-team players last year, but I wouldn’t say it is rebuilding for us,” he said.

“The programme at JC has always been producing good kids, but you are not always going to get all of them transitioning from the under-14 to the under-19 team,” he said.

“But we have always transitioned a high percentage of them, and that is the same trajectory that we are on now.”

Henry said changes to ISSA regulations regarding player quotas have also encouraged schools to place greater emphasis on developing their youth programmes.

“Over the past couple of seasons, ISSA would have changed the rules regarding quotas, so everybody has to be showing some love to their youth programmes, and that is what we have been doing for the past five years,” Henry said.