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On violence and football
ON THE SPORTING EDGE
Paul Reid
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The value of sports in the life of any society cannot be understated.
We have seen or heard of so many rags-to-riches stories coming from all kinds of sporting endeavors, such as football, basketball and track and field.
That's why the news that St James Football Association team Defenders FC withdrew from the Claro Division 1 after one of their players and a player's girlfriend was injured in a shooting incident in the Green Pond area last month is so disappointing.
Theories that the shots were not intended for them offer no consolation; the fact is that they were in a public area in broad daylight. That, by any standard, is frightening.
No wonder the team members are too traumatised to continue training.
Th upshot of all this is that a group of maybe 20 youngsters plus their coaches and managers will miss a healthy and fruitful endeavor they obviously love.
Said endeavor would have kept them occupied at least for the next few months.
We'll never know whether any of the Defenders players would have gone on to make a name for themselves at a higher level or if they would simply play the sport they love and keep themselves off the street corners and out of trouble.
What we do know is that an entire team and by extension, a once-vibrant community is now in fear. To make thiings worse they won't have football to help distract them from the everyday hardships of living in an inner-city community.
The St James FA must be given props for their understanding of the situation and their compassionate decision not to fine Defenders under the rules of the competition.
Yesterday morning we woke to the news that Byron Clarke a 28-year-old player for the Copperwood FC team that also plays in the Division One league was shot dead in his community.
We extend condolences to his family, friends and teammates, even we wonder how this will affect the team.
ON THE SPORTING EDGE
Paul Reid
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The value of sports in the life of any society cannot be understated.
We have seen or heard of so many rags-to-riches stories coming from all kinds of sporting endeavors, such as football, basketball and track and field.
That's why the news that St James Football Association team Defenders FC withdrew from the Claro Division 1 after one of their players and a player's girlfriend was injured in a shooting incident in the Green Pond area last month is so disappointing.
Theories that the shots were not intended for them offer no consolation; the fact is that they were in a public area in broad daylight. That, by any standard, is frightening.
No wonder the team members are too traumatised to continue training.
Th upshot of all this is that a group of maybe 20 youngsters plus their coaches and managers will miss a healthy and fruitful endeavor they obviously love.
Said endeavor would have kept them occupied at least for the next few months.
We'll never know whether any of the Defenders players would have gone on to make a name for themselves at a higher level or if they would simply play the sport they love and keep themselves off the street corners and out of trouble.
What we do know is that an entire team and by extension, a once-vibrant community is now in fear. To make thiings worse they won't have football to help distract them from the everyday hardships of living in an inner-city community.
The St James FA must be given props for their understanding of the situation and their compassionate decision not to fine Defenders under the rules of the competition.
Yesterday morning we woke to the news that Byron Clarke a 28-year-old player for the Copperwood FC team that also plays in the Division One league was shot dead in his community.
We extend condolences to his family, friends and teammates, even we wonder how this will affect the team.
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