Dennis Cox, head coach of Cox Academy in Trinidad and Tobago, labelled their recent trip to Jamaica a success, believing that his players learnt from the experience.
Cox Academy, in Jamaica, participated in an Under-10 tournament which seeks to improve players' skills and create a tighter bond between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.
"It was really, really great, as the kids across here (Jamaica) have a lot of talent, and I was impressed with the different clubs. It was also a wonderful experience for our kids," Cox stated.
He elaborated that he was impressed with the skill set of youth players in Jamaica, which could put the country in a good position in the future. He also shared that, for Cox Academy, these programmes will continue to help Trinidad and Tobago's football.
"I was very much impressed, as I think that the future looks bright in Jamaica with the young talents. They seem to have a vast knowledge of the game at that age. For my players, I would say the same as my academy travels the world.
"Recently, the girls' Under-16 went to Mississippi and then the boys' Under-16 went to Spain, so we travel a lot for our players to get a lot of exposure and experience," Cox shared.
Cox Academy played against Harbour View, Rockfort, Brown's Town and Los Perfectos during their visit, and their head coach admires the tackling and style of play of Jamaicans. He hopes to impart the learning experience of his players on his return to the twin-island republic.
"For our opponents in Jamaica, I admired their style of playing, and their aggressiveness is something that I will see that we learn from. Their strong tackling are things that our kids aren't used to, so that was a big learning experience for them," he added.
In retrospect, Coach Cox believes programmes like these impact young players positively, as they teach, from a tender age, strong fundamentals of the game of football.
"Well, that's the honest way, and that's how we can move from one point to another," he concluded.
SOURCE: Jamaica Star