JDF, Kingston Wharves join forces to build resilient young cricketers
Some of the campers pose with the leaders after the opening ceremony. (From left) Coach Junior Bennett, Jacari Powell, Captain Marlon Saunders, Vinroy Dell, Simone Murdock of Kingston Wharves, Lieutenant Rashawn Riley, Austin Rock and Lieutenant Carl Budhoo.
Key Points(5)
- The cricket field is only part of the lesson.
- For the 100 youngsters taking part in this year’s summer cricket camp in St.
- Elizabeth, the next two weeks are designed to be about far more than batting, bowling and fielding.
- Through a partnership between the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Kingston Wharves, the young participants will be exposed to cricket development alongside lessons in discipline, leadership, focus and resilience.
- The initiative, which is being staged for the second consecutive year, got underway last Friday at Manley Horne Park in Junction, St.
The cricket field is only part of the lesson.
For the 100 youngsters taking part in this year’s summer cricket camp in St. Elizabeth, the next two weeks are designed to be about far more than batting, bowling and fielding. Through a partnership between the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Kingston Wharves, the young participants will be exposed to cricket development alongside lessons in discipline, leadership, focus and resilience.
The initiative, which is being staged for the second consecutive year, got underway last Friday at Manley Horne Park in Junction, St. Elizabeth, with the JDF establishing a temporary camp at the venue for the duration of the program.
This year’s intake represents a significant expansion from the 60 youngsters who participated in last year’s camp at Up Park Camp in Kingston.
Taking the camp where it can make a difference
The decision to move the program to western Jamaica was deliberate.
Captain Marlon Saunders, who addressed the opening ceremony, said the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa was a major factor in bringing the camp to St. Elizabeth, where the organizers believe the initiative can make a meaningful difference among young people.
"The main purpose why we chose to have the post here in St Elizabeth is because as most of Jamaica has known is that Melissa had a significant impact on Jamaica especially here in the western side of the island and as such we decided to bring the camp here where we can have a significant impact on these youngsters."
Saunders said the camp’s central theme this year is resilience, a quality he believes is essential not only in sport but in life.
"The camp is centred around the theme of resilience and it's one of the things that we saw it fit to choose for our theme where once you've been down this road and if things don't go as how you'd want it, there's always a way to come back."
He added: "If we fall it will teach us how to get back up and rebuild and even rebuild stronger."
More than a cricket camp
The JDF was expected to deploy more than 20 soldiers to help deliver the program, creating a structure that extends well beyond cricket instruction.
Youngsters were to participate in mentorship sessions led by JDF personnel and members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), while professional cricketers from the parish will also contribute to the program.
A health fair was be staged for residents of surrounding communities, and the JDF was to use the occasion to conduct a recruitment drive in western Jamaica.
Saunders said the combination of sporting instruction and mentorship was intended to shape the youngsters into stronger individuals and future leaders.
"It's the courage and the discipline that is fully aligned with being resilient is one of the true foundations for this summer camp this year."
Reflecting on last year’s experience, he said the JDF’s specialists, including counselors and senior leaders, played an important role in helping participants develop beyond the sporting arena.
"We will also have members from the JCF and also professional cricketers from the parish to participate in this program. So it will not just only be a camp where coach Bennett [Junior] and his team will teach the soft skills to these individuals but at the end of the day after this session, we will have our mentorship sessions that are scheduled to help to mould them into better individuals, stronger leaders for the better future of not only St Elizabeth but Jamaica at large," said Captain Saunders.
Two weeks to raise the standard
For coach Junior Bennett, the expanded camp provided an important opportunity to accelerate the development of a group of young players between seven and 14 years old.
With two weeks of intensive training, Bennett said the objective was to push the youngsters to another level while reinforcing the values needed to succeed.
"We have two weeks to really upskill these youngsters. They are from the age of seven to 14 so we're going to work extremely hard with them over the next two weeks to bring them to where we definitely want them."
The youngsters had already been participating in the Kingston Wharves competition for several years, making the camp a continuation of an established cricket-development pathway.
Bennett also welcomed the partnership between Kingston Wharves and the JDF, particularly given the challenges faced by the parish since the hurricane.
"These youngsters are an ongoing process so we just want to instil good discipline with them as a parish who have gone through a lot since last year with the hurricane. And it's really good to see Kingston Wharves and the Jamaica Defence Force really come together to put on this camp."
Giving back through cricket
Helping Bennett with the cricket component was former Kingston Wharves scholarship recipient Marquino Mindley.
Mindley was awarded a Kingston Wharves scholarship in 2009 after participating in the company's Under-15 Cricket Competition. His involvement this year added another layer to the initiative, allowing a former beneficiary to contribute to the development of the next generation.
Discipline as a foundation
Kingston Wharves corporate services manager Simone Murdock said the company sees discipline as a critical component of its youth-development program.
She welcomed the JDF’s continued involvement, noting that the organization has strengthened the competition’s emphasis on personal development away from the cricket field.
"An important and integral part of our program is about building discipline."
Murdock said that while camaraderie and sportsmanship remain important, discipline provides the foundation for success both on and off the field.
"Outside of camaraderie and sportsmanship, discipline is a very important part and as Captain (Marlon Saunders) shared with you, if you have discipline, you can achieve all of the other matrices that makes you a good player, a good human being and a good sportsman."
She said Kingston Wharves intends to continue supporting the initiative as resources permit.
"I do believe once the resources are available, we will continue to support them because we would have always had some element in every competition that speaks to off the field and we are glad to be combining with the JDF that have successfully combined both elements."
A different kind of victory
When the camp concludes on August 28, the focus will shift from training to reflection, with closing activities showcasing some of the skills and lessons acquired during the two weeks.
For the organizers, however, the ultimate measure of success will extend beyond the performances on the cricket field.
The ambition is to produce young cricketers who understand that talent must be supported by discipline, character and the ability to recover when circumstances become difficult.
In a parish still rebuilding from the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the message could hardly be more timely; falling is not the end of the journey, it is how you respond that matters.
