Athletes honoured

One only has to recall ex-West Indian cricketer Mervyn Dillon, veteran road runner Ronnie Holassie, former track and field star-cum coach Annalee Walcott and, more recently, Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott to conclude that the school continues to be a dominant force in almost every sporting discipline.

In fact, for the first time in the country’s history, five of the school’s past students were nominated this year for the prestigious First Citizens Sport Personality of the Year Award.

They were Apphia Glasgow (rugby); Darryl Lewis (surfing); Daneil Williams (volleyball); Samantha Wallace (netball) and Keshorn Walcott (javelin throw).

Walcott eventually won the Sport Personality of the Year title in a male category.

Toco Secondary’s proud tradition of sporting excellence has never wavered.

On July 5, the school paid glowing tribute to its current crop of athletes as part of the institution’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Close to 50 students were presented with certificates and tokens for outstanding performances in National Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships and other prominent athletic meets over the past year.

In the end, Otis Barker and Donicia Antoine were adjudged Most Outstanding and All Round Athletes. Barker also received an award for the Most Disciplined Male Athlete while Xea Bruce won in the female category.

Jada James won the prize for the Most Improved Athlete.

Delivering welcome remarks at the function, principal Verona Davis-Modeste acknowledged the school’s greatness, particularly in the area of track and field.

She noted that Toco Secondary had made a clean sweep in the 2016-2017 cross country events, winning the boys and girls’ competition as well as the overall school title.

The school repeated the feat in the 5K Classic.

“We have proven over the years that one can be small but still powerful,” she said to rousing applause from the audience. “For a small school we are very powerful in track and field.” Davis-Modeste noted that in spite of the school’s overall performance, a number of the students do not train on a regular basis.

She also registered her disappointment at the turnout of parents at the function “When we go out to compete, the teachers have to be parents, they have to be coach, they have to be everything because they can’t find parents,” she said.

“For those of you parents who are here today, I congratulate you. And I want to urge you to encourage your fellow village members to come out and support the children.” Attributing the school’s success to the commitment of past and present teachers, community members and other stakeholders, Davis-Modeste urged the young athletes to train incessantly.

“God has blessed you with talent.

However, you need to develop it through discipline, perseverance, and hard work,” she said.

National sprinter Ayanna Hutchinson- Britton, who delivered the feature address, followed in this vein, urging the athletes to exercise discipline despite the trials they may encounter in life.

Hutchinson-Britton recalled that after receiving an athletic scholarship, she had consulted with her mother and coach before compiling a list of the things she needed to do in order to excel in her chosen field.

Hutchinson-Britton said, though, that she also relied on the discipline she had been taught as a child to guide her career.

“I was determined to get my diploma and there was this discipline that was instilled in me as a child and later, as a young person, that allowed me to understand that making hard decisions and in some cases, life-changing decisions later on, will require the discipline that was instilled in me as a younger person. You have to have courage to make this decisions and the courage to stick it out until the end.” Urging the athletes to forge relationships with people they can trust and who will assist them in making sound choices, Hutchinson-Britton said on occasions when they require physical rehabilitation “you need to have the discipline to ensure that your body heals.” She said they also must have the discipline to execute their techniques in times when the coach may not be present.

Hutchinson-Britton told the athletes that discipline also should be exercised when competing in international tournaments.

“You have to know how to behave in different societies and cultures when you go out there because it will be different from what you are used to.” She told the athletes they also should not be afraid to make mistakes.

“They tend to bring valuable lessons but do seek advice and counsel from people who share your aspirations, mindsets and minimise your chances of making those mistakes.” She told them: “God did not give you a spirit of fear but of power and of love and self-discipline.” In his remarks, former Toco Secondary principal Kendall John said although the school delivered impressive performances during this year’s athletic season, many of the students still did not understand the significance of their achievements.

He said sport was much more than just a game of cricket or football.

“Sports is not like before where you just come and run, you play cricket, you play football and that is the end of it,” he said.

“This is a professional career and you are not seeing it like that. You still have to have that vision, both with the students and the parents, that vision still have not been caught on and my greatest desire is to see people get more fight in terms of that vision.” Saying the school has produced high-calibre athletes, John recalled that at a similar function in 2010, he told another group of students that Toco had the potential to achieve Olympic status “Two years after that, we got Olympic gold (Keshorn Walcott),” he said.

John, a schools supervisor III, said while many people were surprised by Walcott’s accomplishment, he was not.

He said: “I saw the way in which that student operated. As a mater of fact that person, was one of the few persons that would come in the office, use my computer, check out the competition and prepare himself without being supervised.” Saying that Toco’s students are often wooed by the so-called prestige schools, John said: “But Toco has its home-grown talent and you must see it as a talent that needs to be developed.” He urged parents to play a fundamental role in nurturing their children’s potential.

“Parents do not treat the sports as just a side thing. You must wake your children up to go their training. Whatever your child is involved in, I want you, in terms of sport, to be supportive.” John also urged the athletes to remain grounded. “Do not forget where you would have come from. This is what make other schools prestige because the people who went before always recognised.” He said the 2020 Olympic Games must feature athletes from Toco Secondary.

President of the school’s Parent- Teacher Association, Leroy Serapio, gave perhaps the most passionate address to the students.

A former star athlete at the institution, whom many felt could have represented the country internationally, Serapio said sport was much more than a casual activity at Toco Secondary “This is not just a sport. This is not just a going and run. This is something cultural to the school.” He said the school had excelled in sport way beyond this year’s performances. “This is not ten years of success,” he said.

“We started winning high school championships since 1986 for those of you who don’t know.

So we have a long tradition of greatness coming out of this institution.” Serapio challenged the athletes to learn about the history of the school as they strive to be the best in their respective events.

“I am appealing to you, the athletes, to start to know about the history and start to value a little more what you have and what God has blessed us with coming from this part of the vineyard.” Serapio said he was disappointed by the turnout of parents at the event. “To say I am disappointed with parents is an understatement,” he said.

“I am disappointed with the parental support for the students of this school . Yes there are few parents who help and support but generally those numbers are too small. “I urge you now to come on board and to come with your two hands on board and to put more than a casual interest in your children’s development.

Sports, track and field is s billion- dollar development today.

“I am saying to you parents.

You have gems sitting in this room , waiting to be nurtured.

“Please, I urge you to support them. Whom much is given, much is expected and we have been given a particular talent and much more is expected of us. Start understanding what you have and maximise it to the fullest potential.