MIAMI, Florida – There is a contagious energy that Arnett Gardens Head Coach Jerome Waite emits to everyone around him.
The eyes of the Jamaican manager spark as he talks about his club and the excitement only grows when he begins to talk about the Scotiabank CONCACAF League.
For Waite, the possibilities offered by the tournament are enormous.
“It’s exciting for the club,” said Waite in an exclusive interview with CONCACAF.com from the 2018 SCL draw in Miami, Florida.
“It’s good to know that CONCACAF started to think about improving our football in our region and the more competition they put in place it will be better for the players,” added Waite.
In particular, Waite highlighted how the SCL will give young players like 26-year-old FW Fabian Reid and 24-year-old MF Vishinul Harris a platform to showcase their skills to the rest of the region.
“The new format is good for football. It’s good that countries can have more than one team competing and that will showcase a lot of talented youngsters. I like this tournament,” said Waite.
For Arnett Gardens, the two-legged tie with Panama’s Arabe Unido in the Round of 16 marks the club’s first appearance in a full CONCACAF tournament since the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
While the club has had recent participations in the 2016 and 2018 Caribbean Club Championships, the opportunity to go up against one of the best teams in Central America will prove beneficial to Waite’s squad.
“Those young players will be traveling not only for the first time but to get some experience overseas and see how well they can equip themselves. We’re all very excited,” concluded Waite.