Henry calm amid JC expectations

Newly appointed technical director of Jamaica College’s (JC) Manning Cup team, Jason Henry, says he understands the high expectations that come with leading one of Jamaica’s most successful schoolboy football programmes, but he noted that he is not feeling pressured to deliver the title this season.

Henry, who has been at JC for the past five years as head of physical performance, replaced Davion Ferguson, who resigned in May. JC finished runners-up in last year’s Manning Cup after losing 2-0 to Excelsior in the final. Henry stated that the expectations surrounding the position are a natural consequence of JC’s rich football history.

“To be honest, I would say there isn’t any pressure on me, but it is mostly expectations that a Jamaica College job will bring,” Henry said. “Any coach that gets this job, it is not about pressure it is just what the school expects in terms of the Manning Cup.

“Any coach that goes into a school that has won 32 Manning Cup titles is expected to perform,” he said.

“Of course, we want to win the title because I am not going to be delusional and say JC does not want to win,” he said. “Any coach who goes there, they expect you to do your best and hope that you win.

“I am looking at it as pressure. I am going there as the man who is in the hot seat at Jamaica College, to put out our best and do our best and let the results speak for themselves.”

Henry also highlighted he has received the full backing of the school’s administration, including principal Wayne Robinson, manager Ian Forbes and the wider management team and old boys network.

“The support from everyone is 100 per cent, from the principal, the manager Ian Forbes and the rest of the management team, and all the old boys, whether directly or indirectly have been supporting us,” he said.

“It is a programme that is well supported right across the board. Not everything is going to be okay at every given time, but the management team always does whatever they need to do to get the job done.”

Henry will have to oversee a squad that has undergone significant changes, with nine first-team players from last season no longer available.

However, he outlined that he does not consider the situation a rebuilding exercise, as they will be banking on their players from the youth programme at the school.

“The programme at JC has always been producing good kids, but you are not always going to get all of them transitioning from the under-14 to the under-19 team. However, we have always transitioned a high percentage of them, and that is the same trajectory that we are on now.”

Henry stated that changes to ISSA regulations regarding player quotas have also encouraged schools to place greater emphasis on their youth programmes.

“Over the past couple of seasons, ISSA changed the rules regarding quotas, so everybody has to be showing some love to their youth programmes, and that is what we have been doing for the past five years,” Henry said.