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Wishing 'Wagga' farewell
TEEN EDITORIAL
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
The football world, both schoolboy and national, was gutted two weeks with news of the death of coach David 'Wagga' Hunt.
If the pictures and words of his charges at Calabar High School were anything to go by, one could assume that Mr Hunt was loved and respected by all. As a matter of fact, it was sobering to see big, strong Manning Cup players holding back tears as they left the room where they were told of Mr Hunt's death.
It truly is rare to see a man touch the hearts of so many young men in such a positive way. Accolades and condolences were issued from all areas of society, to the man who meant so much to the people with who all he came in contact.
On the 26th of October, Hunt was at his house when he collapsed in his bathroom. He had reportedly just finished playing with his young daughter and had decided to take a bath. His wife was alerted when she heard his phone ringing unanswered. When she went into the bathroom she found him on the floor. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later.
A strict disciplinarian, 'Wagga' understood that football was simply a microcosm of society and that once discipline and unity were shown on the field, they could be manifested in other areas of life. He was considered a great mentor and father by both the coaching staff and the players of his teams.
Even though he did not play Manning Cup for his alma mater Kingston College, Hunt has been coaching for over 20 years.
He went to coach Calabar in 2004 where he took them to the finals with a largely young team. He followed up on the achievements of his first year by winning the title in 2005. He also won the all-island Olivier Shield title in that year. He took his team to the ISSA Manning Cup competition finals again in 2006, but they lost to Bridgeport.
Mr Hunt did not only coach Calabar High's schoolboy team, he was also successful at coaching Super League team Meadhaven United. He won several youth titles over the years with this team at the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 levels. This led to him being appointed head coach of the Jamaican Under-17 national team. After some encouraging results from some friendlies he became the first Jamaican coach, at any level, to lead a Jamaican team to victory over a United States. Unfortunately, the young Jamaican team hit a snag at the last hurdle and failed to qualify for the Under-17 World Cup finals.
Given all that he has done for the TEENs of this country, life would be much better if we had more 'Waggas' in our society. If we had more 'Waggas' as teachers, our education system wouldn't need reforming. And if we had more 'Waggas' in our government, we would be experiencing much more success as a nation.
All in all, Mr Hunt, TEENage salutes you. You were an inspiration to us all, and we are thankful that you could have graced us as a people. Finally, "Walk good, Wagga, walk good."
Wishing 'Wagga' farewell
TEEN EDITORIAL
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
The football world, both schoolboy and national, was gutted two weeks with news of the death of coach David 'Wagga' Hunt.
If the pictures and words of his charges at Calabar High School were anything to go by, one could assume that Mr Hunt was loved and respected by all. As a matter of fact, it was sobering to see big, strong Manning Cup players holding back tears as they left the room where they were told of Mr Hunt's death.
It truly is rare to see a man touch the hearts of so many young men in such a positive way. Accolades and condolences were issued from all areas of society, to the man who meant so much to the people with who all he came in contact.
On the 26th of October, Hunt was at his house when he collapsed in his bathroom. He had reportedly just finished playing with his young daughter and had decided to take a bath. His wife was alerted when she heard his phone ringing unanswered. When she went into the bathroom she found him on the floor. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later.
A strict disciplinarian, 'Wagga' understood that football was simply a microcosm of society and that once discipline and unity were shown on the field, they could be manifested in other areas of life. He was considered a great mentor and father by both the coaching staff and the players of his teams.
Even though he did not play Manning Cup for his alma mater Kingston College, Hunt has been coaching for over 20 years.
He went to coach Calabar in 2004 where he took them to the finals with a largely young team. He followed up on the achievements of his first year by winning the title in 2005. He also won the all-island Olivier Shield title in that year. He took his team to the ISSA Manning Cup competition finals again in 2006, but they lost to Bridgeport.
Mr Hunt did not only coach Calabar High's schoolboy team, he was also successful at coaching Super League team Meadhaven United. He won several youth titles over the years with this team at the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 levels. This led to him being appointed head coach of the Jamaican Under-17 national team. After some encouraging results from some friendlies he became the first Jamaican coach, at any level, to lead a Jamaican team to victory over a United States. Unfortunately, the young Jamaican team hit a snag at the last hurdle and failed to qualify for the Under-17 World Cup finals.
Given all that he has done for the TEENs of this country, life would be much better if we had more 'Waggas' in our society. If we had more 'Waggas' as teachers, our education system wouldn't need reforming. And if we had more 'Waggas' in our government, we would be experiencing much more success as a nation.
All in all, Mr Hunt, TEENage salutes you. You were an inspiration to us all, and we are thankful that you could have graced us as a people. Finally, "Walk good, Wagga, walk good."