From CONCACAF

Cayman Islands under-17 national team (pictured) gathers for a team photo prior to a warm-up match in Florida on July 13, 2016.

SUNRISE, Florida – Slightly less than a year ago, Cayman Islands youth football took huge steps into unchartered territory by outlasting St. Lucia on penalty kicks, 5-4, after their third place match in the CFU Boys’ Under-15 Championship ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Cayman Islands posted an overall record of 4W-1D-1L in the competition, conceding only three goals, while increasing belief exponentially.

A majority of that historic side will return to international play on Wednesday, when the Cayman Islands takes on – and hosts — Aruba in the second game of a Group 2 doubleheader in the first round of Caribbean qualifying for the 2017 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town.

Head coach Ernie ”Gillie” Seymour guided the Cayman Islands to success in St. Maarten last August and he hopes to do the same at home as his youngsters look to continue down the road of development.

“You’ve got to get players into specific positions,” Seymour recently told CONCACAF.com at the team’s training camp in Florida, after being asked how he put the squad together. “That’s what we do. We try to find players that fit the position and can gel as a cohesive unit.

“They have been together a couple of years now. They came right from the primary school. They play like a family…they come from different clubs, but they are like a big family.”

In order to cultivate that unity, Seymour created a training program in consideration of the players’ club and academic commitments.

“When school was on, further back, we would keep them together during the season,” he explained. “But because they were with their clubs, we would meet once a week, every Friday. The other days they were with their clubs and they were playing games in their league.

“Then when the league wound down, we stepped it up to three days…Monday, Wednesday and Friday. School was still on because they were doing exams. I told them that as soon as exams were finished, it’s every day. At the end of June, we went every day.”

Seymour believes that the training camp in the United States – funded exclusively by the nation’s Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports — will ultimately result in numerous benefits. The team, of course, worked on fitness and tactics, while also simulating a tournament-like environment that fit three matches against local clubs into five days.

“One of the main of objectives of coming here was to build up more camaraderie, build that cohesive unit and get closer together,” Seymour — a former Cayman Islands international — noted, also adding that it was important for the players to gain separation from any possible distractions. “When we come here, we’re looking to get competitive games. We’re doing a format like when we play at home (for the CFU event)…play Wednesday, rest Thursday, play Friday, rest Saturday and then play Sunday…be realistic to what’s happening as much as possible.”

Taking into account the thoughtful preparation and attention to detail, what can we expect from Cayman in CFU play?

“With Aruba, Haiti and Puerto Rico, our objective is to get out the first group,” Seymour finished. “What we’re preparing the guys for is that don’t be weak against an opponent who you think is strong. Be resilient, go there and play tough…play to win and don’t be afraid to play.”

That’s a recipe already proven to yield results and, perhaps, a place in the Caribbean’s final round.