MONTEGO BAY, St James — National Under-20 men’s team coach Luciano Gama has urged a balanced approach to football at the younger age groups.

The Brazilian, who was addressing yesterday’s media launch of the 23rd staging of the Victoria Mutual Building Society St James Football Association’s Under-13 competition at the UDC Field on Howard Cooke Boulevard, said players should get ready for both winning and losing.

“We shouldn’t just talk to the players about winning games,” he said. “Winning and losing are part of the game and they should be ready for both.”

He told the audience, that included a number of the 29 schools taking part as well as coaches, “winning should not be everything, only that the players give of their best every time, and if they do, they can’t be considered losers”.

Gregory Daley, president of the St James Football Association, welcomed VMBS’ initiative, saying it made his job of developing youth football in the parish easier.

Daley announced that an Under-8 competition to be played in 30 schools and a girls’ Under-15 competition were to start soon.

In the opening game, Barracks Road Primary beat defending champions Catherine Hall Primary 2-0 with Tafari Robinson scoring in the 18th and 41st minutes.

Twenty-nine schools will play in five zones in the first round and the top two, plus the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals where they will play in four groups of three teams.

The winners of each group will advance to the semi-finals.