Earlier this month, child health and behaviour specialist Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughn made an assertion about the importance of play for children with which most of us agree — even if we don’t routinely think about it.

“[C]hildren who play are more resilient to toxic stress and can better cope with adversity,” The University of the West Indies professor told this newspaper in the context of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact in late October.

It appears Professor Samms-Vaughn was speaking specifically about young children.

But, while we are not experts, we dare to suggest that those truths also apply to teenagers, such as those involved in the final stages of 2025 high school sports this weekend.

Further, people of all ages can readily testify to the stress-relieving qualities of not only playing sport but, crucially, also watching others play.

It’s a given that recreation and relaxation are essential for maintaining mental and emotional equilibrium, even our sanity, following most extreme trauma, as was Hurricane Melissa.

All of which, and more, is why this newspaper endorsed the decision of school leaders, through their Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), to resume school sports following the hurricane.

We note that all-island schools’ netball titles should have been decided Friday with defending senior champions Holmwood Technical meeting Gaynstead High; and at the junior level Wolmer’s Girls’ up against Denbigh High.

Logistically, it must have been extremely difficult for ISSA to get through its schedules post-Melissa. That’s more especially for very popular, high-participation football. But with the school term ending this week, ISSA appears to have got the bulk of the job done without too many hitches.

This evening, former champions Glenmuir High out of Clarendon and St Elizabeth Technical High School from Melissa-ravaged St Elizabeth will meet in the all-rural daCosta Cup final.

On Friday afternoon, many-time former champions Jamaica College and former winners Excelsior High met in the all-urban Manning Cup showpiece at the same venue.

Lesser football titles at the Under-19 level were also down to be decided Friday and Saturday for teams that got close but dropped out of contention for the prestigious Manning and daCosta Cup titles.

This afternoon, in the curtain-raiser to the daCosta Cup final, Montego Bay’s pride and joy, Cornwall College, will face Clarendon College from Chapelton, northern Clarendon, for the all-rural Ben Francis Cup.

And on Friday, prior to the Manning Cup final, defending champions Mona High were defeated by St Catherine High in the all-urban Walker Cup.

Such was the impact of the hurricane that the schoolboy football season seems set to extend into January when school resumes after the Christmas break.

Our understanding is that the all-island Olivier Shield, involving the champions of the elite daCosta Cup and Manning Cup will take place early January.

The Champions Cup for leading schools in rural and urban areas may also happen.

It means that with other schools’ sports, including track and field and cricket, traditionally happening in the early months of the year, ISSA’S plate may well be even more crowded than usual.

But such is ISSA’s track record, who dares doubt its capacity to cope?