St George's College's Shammar Shelton receives his award for being the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel 2008 Manning Cup Most Valuable Player from Joan Forrest-Henry, director of marketing services, Scotiabank, at yesterday's schoolboy football awards ceremony at the Terra Nova Hotel, St Andrew. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president, Captain Horace Burrell, strongly advised schoolboy football coaches wishing to take part in the upcoming season to seek coaching accreditation, as the body continues its drive to improve standards across the island.

Recently, the JFF entered in an agreement with the University of Technology (UTech), which will see four Level One courses offered at the institution. The tutoring is expected to get under way on February 7.

"The fact is that unless coaches within high schools graduate from this programme, it will not be possible for them to be part of the competition," said Burrell at the award ceremony for the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning and daCosta Cups, at the Terra Nova hotel yesterday.

"A major factor in that decision is the fact that you have heard of Brazilian-style football, English football, we are looking to establish Jamaican football," he said.

Burrell, however, went on to state that having seen the level of talent on display in the competitions, the future of the game was in good hands.

"Having watched a couple of the games myself I can testify to the fact that there has been some impressive talent on display and the national programme should have no shortage of players," he said.

At yesterday's ceremony, the Neville Bell-coached St George's College walked away with even more accolades than the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield trophies. The North Street team also picked up awards for the most attacking team, having netted more than 50 goals; and honours for the competition's most disciplined team.

National Under-20 representative, Shammar Shelton, received the Manning Cup's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for contributions on and off the field, while his St George's teammate and captain, Kemal Malcolm, walked away with the award for the Manning Cup's top scorer, having netted 22 goals.

Allan Ottey of daCosta champions St James High was that competition's leading scorer and he also received the Golden Boot award, having netted the most goals in the second round, while Fabian McCarthy of St James received the daCosta Cup's MVP award.

The Golden Boot award for the Manning Cup competition went to Jamaica College's Saeed Robinson. The rural competition's honours of being the top defensive team went to Godfrey Stewart High, while St Andrew Technical were the most stingy team defensively in the urban area.

St Elizabeth Technical received the award for being the daCosta Cup's most attacking team.