MONTEGO BAY, ST JAMES — Once overshadowed by disciplinary challenges and negative public perception, Green Pond High School is changing, thanks in part to the power of sports.

The school, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, has been using football, cricket, netball and other activities as key tools for reshaping student behaviour, building discipline, and fostering a renewed sense of pride.

“You’ll note that, coming from 2005, we had our fair share of bad publicity because of [bad] behaviour. We have used sport to address that,” Principal Oraine Ebanks told the Jamaica Observer Monday on the sidelines of a half-a-million-dollar donation before the start of a football game.

“We have used football, cricket, netball — the netballers are doing very well, we are recognised nationally as one of the powerhouses, especially in western Jamaica — and so this is something that we have been using to transform behaviour,” he added.

The school made the semi-finals of the Ben Francis football competition in 2013, and has had a fair amount of success in a slew of under-16 football contests over the years. The trend continues and from 8:30 to 9:30 every Tuesday morning, the place of learning is abuzz with physical activity as nearly all of its students participate in various sporting clubs.

“We have seen the transformation, and we are continuing in this vein to ensure that our students have better outcomes,” said Ebanks.

The school administrator said the effects of the transformation are being felt beyond the gates of the institution, spreading to the nearby community of Cornwall Courts.

“The Citizens’ Association president said to us, ‘We don’t know what is happening there, but whatever it is, continue to do it because we have seen the change in behaviour’,” Ebanks recounted.

Businessman and philanthropist Omar McFarlane is among those who believe in the power of sports. He is the one who donated $500,000 to Green Pond High ahead of a DaCosta Cup football game versus Cornwall College on Monday afternoon.

“Football is a passion for me, so I am just finding schools that have a need and this is where I am focusing my philanthropic efforts and giving back to schools,” he explained.

McFarlane, who is acting general manager at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), is also from Montego Bay. He grew up in the neighbouring community of Farm Heights and went to Cornwall College.

“It gives me goosebumps and it gives me joy and it follows the book of Luke that says that to whom much is given, much more is required. That is the philosophy that I follow through with. If it can impact one kid, two kids, a sports programme, I am all for it,” he said.

McFarlane’s donation, which will be used to purchase football gear and equipment, has come at a crucial time for the school’s DaCosta Cup team. Although Green Pond is not enjoying its best season, the foundation is being laid for a return to form, according to Ebanks.

“We are looking at our youth programme to see how best this can support the development of our youths. In the next three years, Green Pond should be back on the map as a force to be reckoned with as a football powerhouse,” the school principal said.

“It’s a wonderful feeling, our football programme needed this boost and as a school we have been trying our best to see how best we can provide equipment and gears for our students in the area of sports,” he added.