ON Thursday, March 19, 2015, Campion College won its first schoolboy cricket competition in over 26 years when it became Grace Cup champions by defeating my alma mater, St George’s College, in the final match. I take this opportunity to congratulate them, to offer them the highest commendations, the greatest kudos, for a feat that in this day and age in Jamaica is nothing short of miraculous.

Campion has accomplished this feat not only with less boys to choose from than our all-boys’ schools, but also without recruiting for sports purposes in an attempt to influence the outcome of sporting events between schools.

I am almost certain that the past students of Campion must have put the powers that be at the school under severe pressure to corrupt their mission and join the win-at-all-cost gang of rich, powerful, high status schools which bring in youngsters based on sports ability, so that they too could win more trophies. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo, to the board and educators of Campion for staying strong and fending off whatever approaches were made to them in this regard. They have not engaged in the obnoxious, scandalous, vulgar, unethical, and unprincipled practice of assembling a “super team” at their school — the deviant behaviour that has become the norm and that has been practised by the overwhelming majority of schools that, for many years, have won sports trophies.

The story going the rounds is that they were lucky since one of the hurdles some of their better players had to overcome was the rabid recruiting approaches of at least one school with a very strong cricketing tradition. When one adds to that the fact that so many of the young men are 16 years of age or younger (eight of their starting 11 can play under-16), their accomplishment becomes even more amazing. One of the things that this triumph serves to emphasise is that academic ability and sporting talent are not mutually exclusive. Oftentimes, youngsters have both, and it is just a matter of bringing out, discovering and developing one or the other. Hence, youngsters with sports ability are not necessarily bereft of other aptitudes, and those with academic talent are not necessarily nerds — as some would want us to believe. It just requires that educators be less lazy in their approach, stay true to their declared mission, stop going for the quick fix, instant gratification, and ready-made stars; unearth and develop the talent of the children who qualify and have been placed in their schools and allow all schools to perform on a much more level playing field.

Give schools like Campion an equal chance. Campion should not have had to do what they did against the sort of odds they faced. The powers that be, including ISSA, must do the right thing: ban importation by schools for sports purposes and thus make things more equitable for all schools — rich, poor, high status, low status, traditional or non-traditional. Let us use other means to develop the sports talent of the young, eg institutions focusing on youth sports, mobile coaches, etc.

Yes, Campion has won lawn tennis and swimming, but these are considered minor sports in which our school principals have little interest, since they do not carry the glory and money of our major sports. Cricket is considered a transition sport, straddling the majors and the minors. This means that although there is importation of students for cricket, and some schools import heavily in this regard, many schools bring in only a few because of cricket prowess. What has happened here in cricket, difficult as it was, could not occur in track and field or football, where recruiting for sports purposes by our schools is at its worst. In those areas, only the best assemblers of sports talent survive. There, our schools are virtual sports clubs or academies. Can this be good for education in Jamaica?

It is ironic that the last hurdle for Campion in their quest for victory was StGC, the former bulwark against schools recruiting for sports purposes and the former academic leader — still the only high school to have produced six consecutive Jamaica scholars and at the same time discovering, nurturing and “developing” some of the most outstanding schoolboy football stars and teams Jamaica has seen.

Campion represents what is good in school sports. Their approach is in keeping with the spirit and philosophy of educational sports in school, if we are serious about education as a country. Campion, which spends millions on extra-curricular/co-curricular activities, has a very sensible policy, whereby they require that all students do at least two of these activities. Also, if the school is competing against another school in a sporting activity and supporting students not actively participating in the activity have classes at the same time, then, those students are expected to attend their classes. This sends a clear, unequivocal message to all and sundry about the main mission of the school, which is to provide a formal education to its students and to assist, as far as possible, in their socialisation (the major function of sports in schools).

The social spectrum of the students at Campion spans the gamut from the most disadvantaged to the most privileged, with a larger percentage of the sons and daughters of gentry than most other schools. However, all the students at the school get the best of both the academic and the extra-curricular worlds because of the enlightened policies of the school. Can other schools and educators learn anything from this? Is this, again, a case of the fulfilment of the biblical saying “to those who have shall be given, and from those who have not, even that which they have shall be taken away” and I hasten to add because of their stupidity, myopic vision, greed, corruption, and self-aggrandisement?

The next challenge for Campion is St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS). This is indeed a different kettle of fish, a very steep hill to climb since STETHS has a dissimilar philosophical approach to the business of sports talent as an entry requirement to school. This is akin to the battle between David and Goliath, but, then again, David won that one. At least you know whose corner I am in. Best of luck, Campion!

Dr Lascelve ‘Muggy’ Graham former Jamaica football captain.