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Jamaican coach and broadcaster Neville Bell has called for talented young athletes to receive stronger encouragement to pursue sport seriously, arguing that athletic ability can provide significant career opportunities when properly developed.
During an appearance on the No NDA Podcast, Bell discussed the demands he placed on players involved in an elite programme at St George’s College, where he expected young footballers to balance training with their academic responsibilities.
Bell said missing training because of schoolwork was not automatically accepted because players were expected to organise their time effectively. He stressed, however, that this did not mean education was unimportant.
He said his message to players was that training occupied only a small portion of the 168 hours available each week, leaving substantial time for schoolwork and other responsibilities if they managed their schedules properly.
Bell argued that Jamaica should also become more comfortable encouraging exceptional athletes to seriously pursue their sporting ability.
He pointed to the substantial earnings available to elite professional footballers as evidence that sport can become a legitimate and lucrative profession.
However, Bell stopped short of suggesting that youngsters should abandon education. Instead, he said they should be encouraged to develop what they are genuinely good at, whether that is football, basketball or another sport.
