Round Hill, JFF team up for unique summer camp
Published:Thursday | April 24, 2025 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) and Round Hill Hotel and Villas are embarking on a novel partnership, beginning this summer.
Some time in July, tentatively from the fourth to the 11th, the two organisations will play various roles in putting on a summer camp for young players, split between players from the communities surrounding Round Hill and the children of guests of the hotel.
Gario Graham, the CEO of Kingston Made Productions, which has been charged with organising and managing the event, calls the partnership between the Montego Bay hotel and football’s organising body in Jamaica a win-win.
Graham explained that the organisations will be teaming up with a charity that will help bring in children from the surrounding communities.
But according to Graham, there could also be opportunities for the general public, should space allow.
“If we are able to have space enough by now and May, we will open it to the general public, and they can pay if they want to be a part of it.
“But for now, we are looking to make sure Jamaicans can get into this at a very subsidised cost,” said Graham.
Graham explained that the JFF will provide coaches, who will be paid for the promotion of the event.
The promotions will include the national players, depending on availability, bearing in mind the timing of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
JFF President Michael Ricketts said he is excited by the unique nature of the project, and is interested in the relationship between tourism and sports.
“I know the intent is to involve visitors and their kids, and this certainly is an initiative that will market the product of football.
“We want them to be part of our culture, especially our footballing culture, and we are super, super excited.
“I am looking forward with great expectancy, and I am absolutely sure this will be an initiative which other entities will want to copy going forward,” said Ricketts.
Josy Karabolad, Round Hill’s sales and marketing director, a Brazilian, said the hotel wants to create a new experience through football.
“What we are going to do is take a little bit of a piece of Jamaica to the international market. Most of our clients are from the USA, Canada and the UK, and they are going to hear what Jamaica is doing in terms of soccer, especially a year before the World Cup. So it is great to have this,” said Karabolad.
JFF General Secretary Dennis Chung sees the initiative as a window to more partnerships of this nature.
“We welcome the partnership from Round Hill, and we look forward to us doing many more events like this in the future.
“This is the start of it, and I think this is a platform we can propel from and do a lot. And involve not just persons at the JFF, but also from the local level
“We are not just bringing in visitors from Round Hill, but also creating opportunities for the children in Jamaica,” he said.