JAMAICA Independent Schools Association (JISA) President Tamar McKenzie is asking for support for their sporting activities.

She says that for independent schools, there is much to address regarding sporting activities such as the Western Track Meet to be held on Thursday at Herbert Morrison Technical High School.

“What you need now is corporate Jamaica to come behind the Independent Schools Association and support our athletes because the truth is, many across the island, their children are a part of private schools so we need this type of outlet for children to get opportunities,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

McKenzie said that private schools have had to dig deep in regard to preparation for these events and also for the events themselves.

This year’s return of the western meet is set to cost organisers $3 million for the one-day event — and much of those costs are borne by the participating schools.

“There is no one school that can cover the true cost for registering for meets like these so we need the sponsors to come on board to make sure that the registration costs, the participation fees are affordable,” she said.

The costs could have been more if not for the local municipal corporation assisting with the waiving of some fees, but McKenzie says these activities need support.

“When a school comes on board and pays the registration costs, they have to consider mobilisation,” she said. “So you have transportation, coaches, refreshments — you have all of those things.”

McKenzie, nevertheless, thanked those sponsors who have supported the initiative on its return. Its last staging was in 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 25 schools and 623 students from across the island will compete in the track meet which will incorporate events for both the secondary and preparatory levels.

There will be 54 events contested on the day and also four invitational meets for primary schools.

McKenzie says activities like these are necessary to further the development of students attending these schools.

“It’s all about the practice, the coaching, and the opportunities that the kids get,” she said.

“If you look in the last three months and the amount of invitational meets that have been happening, we’re getting more inclusion because the prep schools [are] going out with the primary schools.”

McKenzie says that, in some cases, prep school students may need to catch up to their primary school counterparts.

“Are we there yet? No. Can we get there? We have to,” she said. “It’s not, ‘Yes, we’re going to get there.’ We have to get there because the children need the exposure and the opportunities.”