Simões brings intelligence-driven approach to Mount Pleasant Academy Camp

The inaugural Mount Pleasant Academy High Performance Camp came to a close on Saturday, leaving a lasting impression on the young footballers who participated in four days of intense training under the guidance of renowned Brazilian and former Reggae Boyz coach René Simões.

Held at the academy, the camp brought together more than 50 players from ages 6-17, all eager to sharpen their skills and gain a deeper understanding of the game.

While the technical and tactical elements of football were key components, Simões placed emphasis on developing the mental side of the sport, an area he believes is critical for Jamaican players to reach the next level.

“So this is why I tell them about the cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, and also I told them about spiritual intelligence,” Simões explained.

“So when you can work this, the players, they can learn fast and they can change their behaviour related to football, to life, to everything. It’s not only football, but everything.

“The content of technical abilities and tactical and everything is good. So now you try to increase this kind of intelligence in the game.

“In terms of how the players displayed those kind of intelligence based on what you’ve seen here, I think it was good.”

Simões’ philosophy is centred on improving decision-making, awareness, and adaptability. His sessions challenged players to think quicker, read situations better, and apply their skills more effectively in real-game scenarios.

Deputy Director of Football at the academy Orlando Clarke praised the Brazilian’s impact, highlighting how the camp introduced a fresh and necessary dimension to player development in Jamaica.

“Well, Professor René Simões, he brings a twist to what we normally do here in Jamaica. He wanted to focus on the IQ. So our activities were based on spiking the mindset, you know, the emotional IQ, to name one, and the cognitive,” Clarke said.

“So it’s more about thinking the game for this camp so that our decision-making can improve, which we know is an issue. We have always been good technically, we are strong physically, but we always struggle with tactical application. So Professor René Simões has come and helped us to design activities that are more on the focus of that.”

For the campers, the experience proved both challenging and rewarding. Young participant Peter Mott shared how the structure of the camp created an environment where every player could grow.

“Mainly, I like how it is set up in a way so everybody can learn equally, and nobody is getting advanced training, but everybody is mastering the basics, and we are dipping into more complex things in football. It’s just better with the game,” he said.