MONTEGO BAY, St James – TWO coaches who have given a combined 60 years’ service to their communities in St James were recently recognised by the Better Tomorrow Sports Academy at a ceremony in their honour held at the Montego Bay Civic Centre.

They are Matebel Edwards, a netball coach for 35 years and Milton Fairclough, a football coach for 25 years, who primarily in the inner-city areas of Glendevon, Albion, Canterbury, Paradise and Norwood.

The awards were presented in memory of the late Bishop AT Palmer and Pastor Molly Palmer, founders of Kings Chapel in Montego Bay by their grandsons Ron Jerome and Paul Dean Gallimore.

In her response, Edwards told the audience that she was “overwhelmed” by the gesture as she was not expecting such an award. She said when she received the invitation for the function she initially thought it was for her players and not herself.

Edwards founded the Blazers netball club in 1998, after she had ended her playing career.

As a coach, Blazers won both local St James leagues — the Junior and Senior leagues — while under her watch one of her players, Shadian Hemmings, was selected to play for the Jamaican national Under 16 team in 2005.

The 44-year-old Fairclough took up coaching in 1987 — 25 years ago — at the youth level and has produced players who have gone on to play in high school and club leagues.

Member of Parliament for Central St James, Lloyd B Smith who read the Prime Minister’s address in her absence, urged organisations such as the Better Tomorrow Sports Academy to strive for a balanced approach to the development of the youths in their care.