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Schools and sport - Tony Becca

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  • Schools and sport - Tony Becca

    Schools and sport
    published: Sunday | September 10, 2006
    <DIV class=KonaBody>


    Tony Becca

    ON FRIDAY, in my column which appeared in this newspaper, I congratulated the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) on its stand on academic and sport in schools and throughout the day.

    Certainly in the early morning and late afternoon, my telephone hardly stopped ringing - and the people at the other end of the line were not congratulating me on what I had written.

    Surprisingly, to me at least, every single one of the callers was lambasting me for supporting ISSA and wanted me to know how I could pass myself off as a sport person, and yet I am supporting a move that is aimed at preventing the country's talented young sportsmen from participating in school sports.

    Well, I am not going to back off one inch and I am not going to back off because of many reasons, but more so because of my interest in the all-round development of young people in sport.

    Commitment to academics

    ISSA, through its president Clement Radcliffe, has said that it intends to back-up its commitment to academic achievement as part of its development of the athletes. It has said that students in both the Manning Cup and daCosta Cup football competitions will have to have at least four subjects with a 45 per cent pass rate and will have to have an attendance record of 80 per cent before they can represent their schools. Those requirements are more than reasonable and, as a Jamaican who wants to see Jamaicans becoming more and more educated and properly trained, who wants to see Jamaicans becoming more and more qualified, who wants to see Jamaicans from all walks of life become more independent and one who wants to see Jamaica flourish as a country, I support ISSA 100 per cent.

    And although these things are important, my support for ISSA has nothing to do with the fact that a school is a place where one goes to learn, that as important as sport and recreation are, everyone who goes to school should go there to learn, that Jamaica is short of schools - certainly of high schools and of teachers, and that those who want to learn should not be denied a place in school, a chance to learn, by those who do not want to learn - by those who go to school, or rather are registered at a school, simply to play football or cricket, to run, jump or throw.

    It is no secret, for example, that some footballers at some schools do not even know the name of the headmaster or the headmistress. In fact, while it may not be so now, once upon a time, in the days when I covered schoolboy football, some footballers did not even know the names of some of the players on their own team.

    My support for ISSA stems from four things.

    The first one is the belief that everyone who goes to school should come out better off, educationally, than when he went there - and it does not matter whether he is a talented footballer, a talented cricketer or a talented runner.

    A school is a school, and while it should provide recreation for all its students, while it should, if possible, encourage the development of a talent in sport, it certainly is not a sports club.

    The second one is the belief that regardless of how talented one is or may be, that talent will never ever be beneficial to anyone unless he with the talent is bright enough, for example, to think, to reason, to understand things like angles and pace on a football field and, especially as far as defenders are concerned, to read, to anticipate the opposing player's next move.

    The third one is that everyone should always prepare for the rainy day, and apart from the fact that it is not every talent that becomes a success, financially a
    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

  • #2
    RE: Schools and sport - Tony Becca

    Karl (9/10/2006)It is no secret, for example, that some footballers at some schools do not even know the name of the headmaster or the headmistress. In fact, while it may not be so now, once upon a time, in the days when I covered schoolboy football, some footballers did not even know the names of some of the players on their own team. <DIV class=KonaBody>
    </DIV><DIV class=KonaBody>Unnu tink is joke? I have played against such people. And the foolishness takes place to various degrees. But some of us will forever maintain the highest standards, no matter what!</DIV>


    BLACK LIVES MATTER

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    • #3
      RE: Schools and sport - Tony Becca

      What is there to congratulate? other than to say, "better late than never". This measure should have been in place since the 70's.

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      • #4
        RE: Schools and sport - Tony Becca

        Not convinced that ISSA is serious. Glenmuir's footballersdo not have the best reputation when it comes to attendance.


        BLACK LIVES MATTER

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        • #5
          RE: Schools and sport - Tony Becca

          hehe - I hear you loud and clear Mo.

          ..And then again, you have those indisciplined ones, who get away with anything at school, simple because they can play ball.
          Life is a system of half-truths and lies, opportunistic, convenient evasion.”
          - Langston Hughes

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          • #6
            RE: Schools and sport - Tony Becca

            Mosiah this must be more than just Glenmuir, I know your groiuse but ISSA must be bigger than Ratcliff and Glenmuir High.



            Even if he is the most corrupt person in sports in the world, how long will he be able to continue?



            Also how many titles have Munro or even say Campion or Ardene won in the last 30 years but look how well their students have done after leaving school, maybe that is a greater indicator of success than daCosta Cup or Champs titles.
            Solidarity is not a matter of well wishing, but is sharing the very same fate whether in victory or in death.
            Che Guevara.

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