Jody Brown points to ‘strong mentality’

As she continues her footballing development, young Jamaican striker Jody Brown believes a strong mindset has been key to her ascent up the football pyramid.

The 17-year-old, in an interview with Concacaf.com, spoke on the challenges in climbing up the ladder this quickly in her career.

"I would say as you get the chance to play at higher, different levels, the more work is required and it gets really hard. But there has to be a strong mentality to keep you going," she said.

Brown played a role in Jamaica's historic qualification and appearance in last year's FIFA Women's World Cup in France. She recently featured in the Jamaica Under-20 World Cup qualifying tournament held in the Dominican Republic, where she scored nine goals during the campaign which ended at the quarter-finals.

Staying Sharp

Though the recent health crisis has limited her training, Brown says that she has been doing what she has been instructed to do to stay sharp physically and protect herself during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I have my coach who has been sending me some daily workouts that I can do at home to keep me going and just to be ready on my return," she said.

She enjoyed a successful career in high school at Mount Verde Academy in Orlando, Florida, where she led the team in goals during the period 2017-2019, as well as won two state titles. Her play led to her being heavily recruited by several top college programmes before accepting an offer from division one school Florida State University.

In inspiring the next generation of girls who have football aspirations of their own, Brown says that they must not get discouraged by those who will not have their best interests at heart.

"First, you have to be passionate about the sport, plus follow your dream and don't let outsiders try and change your mindset," she said.