Today is the first day of school for 53 residential students as the New Mount Pleasant Football Academy opens its doors at Mount Pleasant in St. Ann.
The youngsters who are all down to benefit from scholarship based tuition arrived at the facility yesterday along with staff members ahead of the start of classes this morning.
The unique blend of football and academia for which the academy caters will see the total number of students moving to 300 in 4 years.
The institution will be offering all the major subjects done at the CSEC and city and guilds level and eventually the cape level.
Principal Vannie Clarke says this is the best thing to have happened to football in Jamaica since the 1998 World Cup qualification.
In addition to their development as players, all the boys will be educated in the areas of officiating and football management.