Tivoli programme headed in the right direction – Coach

Tivoli Gardens High head coach Christopher Nicholas believes the school’s football programme is heading in the right direction but says greater support is needed to help restore it to its former glory.

Nicholas, who has spent nearly a decade coaching at his alma mater, said returning to Tivoli has given him the opportunity to give back to the community that helped shape him.

“It’s a pleasure. It’s a pleasure to come back and help, especially my past school and the community. It’s a pleasure to see all the youngsters look up to you and then you can give back. I find it amazing,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas has already enjoyed success at the school, guiding Tivoli to the 2022 Walker Cup title and ending a 16-year wait for silverware.

For him, that triumph was about more than adding a trophy to the school’s cabinet.

He believes it helped restore belief among the students and reminded the school community of its place among Jamaica’s traditional football powerhouses.

“The school hasn’t won anything before that for 16 years. So, when we won the Walker Cup in 2022, it gave life to the school in terms of football and let the kids start believing again.”

Tivoli Gardens was once a major force in schoolboy football during the 1990s and early 2000s, and Nicholas is now hoping to lay the foundation for another sustained period of success.

The school won Manning Cup titles in 1976 and 1999 and captured Walker Cup crowns in 1994, 1996, 2005 and 2022.

Nicholas, however, acknowledged that restoring Tivoli to its former status will not come without challenges.

As a coach working in an inner-city community, he said his familiarity with the area has helped him connect with players, but additional support from former students and supporters would make a significant difference.

“Because I am from the community, it’s not that hard,” he said. “But, if we could do good, or better, with some help from our old boys, I think we could do more.”

Nicholas and assistant coach Lance DaCosta have been working to identify and attract young players to the programme while encouraging them to view football as a pathway to a better future.

He conceded that this year’s Manning Cup team is unlikely to match the achievements of some of Tivoli’s stronger squads.

Nicholas described the group as “very young” and said the programme is currently in a rebuilding phase.

While the players remain inexperienced, he believes they are developing well and that the main objective is to lay the groundwork for a stronger future.

“We’re building a very, very good programme for next year and the other years to come,” he said.

“As long as the kids are playing football and we are looking in the right direction for the country and the kids, I’m good.”

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com