Waterhouse to ensure US-based trio remain in national spotlight

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

After seeing three of the club's most promising youth players take up scholarship offers at universities in the United States, Waterhouse president Ricardo Chin has stated the club's intention to do all it can to keep the players in contention for spots in the national programme.

Former Manning Cup standouts Darren Mattocks (Bridgeport) DeAndre Brown (Jamaica College) and Ricardo Lattibeaudiere all left the island last week to take up scholarship opportunities at the University of Akron, University of Texas and Kansas Community College, respectively. Brown is set to pursue a four-year course in business administration, Mattocks a course in sociology and Lattibeau-diere a two- year associate degree in business administration before moving to Baker University.

However, despite being gifted the opportunities to play abroad, all three could be facing the reality of seeing their hopes of being selected for the national programme all but extinguished.

In recent times, promising players that have left the island's shores to take up offers abroad seem to have fallen on the Jamaica Football Federation's blind spot as it relates to being selected for national duty at any level, but Chin hopes to buck that trend.

"We will always consider them Waterhouse players and maybe we can find a way for them to take part in our Under-21 programme whenever they are here," Chin told The Gleaner.

"However, we will definitely be keeping a track of their progress keeping the federation informed, we are going to do it so they are not forgotten."

Development

Chin also spoke of publicising the move as being part of a broader plan for both youth and community development during his tenure at the club.

"It's not just about football development but we hope to see youngsters developing their minds as well. We are looking at sponsoring various community leagues in which we hope to unearth a lot of young talent who we will encourage to develop mentally as well," Chin said.

The club president also confirmed that according to reports Mattocks, the Manning Cup's top scorer last season had finished sixth form at Bridgeport, Lattibeaudiere who completed sixth form at Calabar and Brown are all settling in well.

"We are very proud of them, though they will be missed at the club. They are three players who did very well in high school and we are looking forward to all of them continuing to do very well."