US college coach on talent hunt in Jamaica
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Dozens of local high school footballers — male and female — are expected to converge on Cornwall College today to try out for possible scholarships to Monroe College of New Rochelle, New York.
The tryouts will be open to all and will be supervised by Monroe College’s coach, Marcus DiBernardo, and will run between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm.
Coach DiBernardo is on a recruitment mission in Jamaica this week and said he will be looking for that “raw talent that seems to be (his) specialty”. He has been quoted as saying that: “I like to comb over all the talent that other college coaches missed.”
According to a release from Rob Seitz Communications, the coach is further quoted as saying: “I like my players to have freedom on the field while fitting into the team concept,” he said.
“Players who come with a positive attitude and great work ethic are always welcome. They must understand that the team is the priority at Monroe, not the individual.”
The Monroe College Mustangs were ranked third nationally in the United States by the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III and went undefeated during regular season play.
Coach DiBernardo will also be recruiting for the women’s team.
DiBernardo and the Mustangs are no strangers to Jamaican players as there are two currently on their roster — Arsenio Elliot and Steven Bailey, both freshmen.