Rural coaches set to feel the pinch after ISSA decision

Western Bureau:

While several rural area coaches have expressed their support for the recent decision by the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) to cancel all sporting competitions for the Christmas term, some have said that they will feel the pinch financially.

ISSA said that the decision was made in light of the delayed start to the reopening of schools due to the recent surge of positive COVID-19 cases in Jamaica. The schoolboy football season, which previously had a proposed October 16 start date, was awaiting government approval.

Among the competitions affected by the cancellation are football, netball, and basketball.

Lenworth 'Lenny' Hyde, coach of reigning daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College, said that while he had no problem with the decision that is in the best interest of safety of the student-athletes he is concerned for the coaches.

"Well, we have to work with it because with the rise in COVID-19 cases now it's safety first. However, it will hurt us still as coaches because this is our job. We won't have any work now, so my concern is, what's going to happen to the coaches?" Hyde said.

Kemar Ricketts, who was looking forward to following up his historic Ben Francis Cup title-winning season with B. B. Coke High School this year, said that while as a coach he feels somewhat disappointed, he understands that the best decision was made for the students.

We are disappointed

"I think with the spike and everything that is happening, it's the best decision. We all would want it (matches) to be played, but with all the uncertainty surrounding this COVID-19 pandemic, it's a wise decision. As coaches we are disappointed, especially in light of the fact that this is our work. Well, we are hoping that competitions can be played in January," Ricketts said.

Coach of St Elizabeth Technical High School Omar 'Rambo' Wedderburn said that while health comes first, as coaches it is a tough one to take. He is, however, hoping that the football season can be played sometime early next year.

"The decision is all right when you take the children into consideration because we know health comes first. However, on the other side as coaches, it is, for some of us, our only job, and we have families that depend on us," said Wedderburn.

"I would love to see the season played in the Easter term. Honestly, all of this just hurts because we were planning well for this season. What happens now is out of our control, so we have to shift our focus immediately to next year and hope and pray things will be better," he added.

Coach of Herbert Morrison Technical High's basketball team, Dave Black, believes that the best decision was made for the safety of the students, but he is disappointed with the move to cancel rather than postpone. He is hoping that if the pandemic allows competition for early next year, ISSA and the sporting bodies will put something in place for the student-athletes.

"It's a sad situation, but I think it's for the best because it's the safety of the kids that we are putting first. It's just for us to put things in place, so as soon as COVID-19 clears up, we can go forward," said Black, who guided Herbert Morrison to the 2018 all-island under-19 basketball title.

He is now hoping that a way can be found to "get these kids in competition". "At least the under-19s will need to try and get scholarships overseas and would want to have videotapes of games," he added.

The recent spike in COVID-19 cases has led the Ministry of Education to push back the reopening of schools on a phased basis, and this is now slated to begin on October 5.