PORT MARIA, St Mary — There’s a lot riding on the sporting skills of 13-year-old track star Kendrick Sharpe.

Building on the success of the St Mary Technical High School student in the Eastern Championships, his track coach Kirkland Robinson is hoping Sharpe’s scintillating performance will open new opportunities for him as well as help bolster the institution’s programme, while bringing sponsors on board for next year.

The coach is optimistic that the school will place at least third in 2024, with lots of help from young Sharpe.

Earlier this year the youngster placed first in the 400-metre event, which he said is his favourite. He also earned first place in the 250 metres and was an integral part of the first-place 4×100 relay team.

This performance was enough to earn him consideration for for the Jamaica 4×400 team at the Carifta Games.

Plagued with an injury, however, he placed seventh in the 400-metre on the Carifta stage.

Nevertheless, he made up for it in the 4×400 metre race in which he anchored the team that placed first. A determined Sharpe has set himself a goal to achieve even more in 2024.

“I have always gotten first place at school sports and DA [district association] sports,” the teenager told the Jamaica Observer.

His coach realises that a big part of his continued development will come from having access to the resources needed.

“The disadvantage for us is we lack a lot of resources. The school invests a lot in it, but it is limited,” said Robinson who has been the school’s track coach since 2018.

He pointed to the absence of a gym at which athletes can work on their strength and endurance techniques, and highlighted the challenge of motivating students who are promising but not particularly interested in athletics. It helps that track team members are known for their discipline and for earning the respect of their peers, he said.

“I ensure that there is a balance from the team members: Academics is vital and discipline is [given equal importance],” Robinson told the Observer.

Despite working with very limited resources the school did relatively well at eastern champs this year, and their coach is pleased with the results. The boys placed fourth for the first time and the girls’ team — which has traditionally outperformed the boys — ranked eighth overall.

“Having a student who competed in the Carifta games is a big boost for the school,” said Robinson who complimented Sharpe for his commitment to the sport.

He expects even greater accomplishments ahead.

“He was injured a week before competition, that is why he hadn’t performed as well as he could,” said the coach.

Coach Robinson hopes Sharpe will go on to join the family of superstar athletes Jamaica has spawned.

“He certainly has the potential,” said the coach, brimming with pride.

With examples set by Olympian and record holder Usain Bolt in the very events in which Sharpe participates he, too, has ambitions of making his friends, family, and all of Jamaica proud.