Former national footballers giving back to Primary Schools’ Competition

Last Friday at the opening of the Kingstown zone of the Primary Schools’ Football Competition at the Grammar School Playing Field, it was a joy to see two former national players — Marlon James and Guy Lowe — assisting with two of the schools.{{more}}

James is the coach of the Bequia Anglican Primary School and Lowe, the St Mary’s Roman Catholic School.

However, James is happy to have the youngsters involved in the sport at a competitive level at this age, but is not at all impressed by the organisation of the competition.

“It is all well and good for us to have a competition, but the youngsters must be taught the right things at the early age,” James noted.

James said his team arrived on time after ferrying across from Bequia for the expected 9 a.m. commencement.

However, the competition never got going until just after 11 a.m.

“Generally, I am not satisfied with the organization of the competition,” James reiterated.

James, who revealed that he never played football competitively at the primary school level, is calling on organizers to do better with the competition and get their act together.

The competition is organized by the Ministry of Education, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation and the Division of Physical Education and Sports.

The Nine-A-Side competition is mainly for males; however, each school team must field at least one female player, who must be on the field of play for the duration of the match.

The matches consist of 40 minutes, split into two 20-minute periods.

The Kingstown Preparatory School won last year’s competition, which was revived after over a decade of absence.(RT)