ALTHOUGH their schools may not be considered top contenders, two principals from non-traditional teams have emphasised the significance of competing at the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, stating that there is more value to the event than just winning.

The 113th staging of the annual high school track and field showpiece will take place over the next five days, with defending boys’ champions Kingston College and defending girls’ champions Hydel looking to defend their titles.

While some schools will hope to challenge for the throne, principal of Alphansus Davis High School, formerly Spalding High, George Henry says being part of Champs is needed exposure for the school’s talent.

“Some persons will never hear of some of my athletes — even the communities where these athletes live — until they hear that they are competing at Champs and their names are being called, especially if they win a medal,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“Persons come from all over Jamaica and parts of the world, they’ve never heard of Alphansus Davis or Spalding High, so going to Champs is a way of telling the world there is a school by the name of [the school in question]. And I’m so proud of my students — they are going to make a name for themselves, and showcase their talent, and tell Jamaica and the world what we are doing here at the school,” Henry added.

Muschett High Principal Morisal Small-Walker told the Observer that Champs serves as a significant developmental tool for students.

“We find that even though we have a small entourage going to Champs, 10 males and 10 females, it provides an avenue to express themselves in ways that are comfortable for them and where their talents are. So, we’ve provided this avenue and I’m sure Muschett’s name will be out there at the end of Champs this year,” she said.

But the advantages Champs provides often come with a high cost for these schools that have limited funding.

“It has cost almost close to $2 million just to send those 20 students. [However], we have gotten some sponsorship because we sent off some of our athletes to Kingston to train at [The] UWI because there are some facilities that we don’t have at the school — we don’t [even] have a high jump bar. So it takes quite a bit of money to send our athletes to Champs but we do our best to ensure that we don’t disenfranchise our students, and we provide them with that opportunity,” said Small-Walker.

“We’ve had to be doing some amount of fund-raising, cutting and carving from some areas where we had allocated funds for other programmes, so it’s really a sacrifice we have made to ensure the talents that are available can be on show,” Henry said.

“It cost a lot of money from September til now, it cost a whole heap of money which we don’t have. For a programme like the one we have, if you don’t have in excess of $10 million, you’re not doing well. We don’t even have half of that but we’ve received support here and there so we are able to make ends meet. But, going forward, I would love to have corporate Jamaica on my side because we have a lot of talent — just like other schools,” he added.

Alphansus Davis finished with a combined 39 points in 2023, ending 11th in the girls’ section and 39th in the boys’ section.

However, the points table doesn’t matter to Henry because he’s seen the impact participating has had on the school and wider community.

“The students who have left here and earned scholarships in American universities are not students who got a lot of subjects in terms of CSEC and CAPE, they are students who did well with the arms, legs, brain and heart that God gave them. When our students participate it gives the rest of us such a happy feeling. Each morning, I go to devotion and I big up my student athletes; the others feel good and they are motivated or encouraged. The staff members, students, parents and the community are happy,” he said.

For Muschett, Small-Walker is looking for an improved 2024 after finishing in the top 30 in both sections in 2023.

“Last year we were 25th in the boys’ and 28th in the girls’ [sections] but we are expecting to be back on the points table and to step up. Many schools have gone to Champs and left without a point, we left with six points each last year and we’re expecting to leave with more points [this year]. As the years progress we are hoping that our programme will grow and [that] sooner or later we’ll be competing with the top names at Champs,” she said.