Footballer scores big as a dad

For Michael Moreland, a forward on the Humble Lion football team, getting the news that he was going to become a father was quite unsettling.

In the midst of steering his team into the premier league, his excitement was broken by the belief that in a few months his 'happy go lucky' lifestyle would be over.

"I was scared, I almost panicked. I was wondering how I am going to survive," he confessed to Family and Religion.

But soon, all that trepidation gave way to renewed excitement over having a child of his own.

Three children later and the dedicated father has a lot to be happy about.

His eldest son, Khymarii, who is six years old and a student of Effortville Basic School in Clarendon, is now heading to primary school and was named top boy at his school. For his achievement he earned a $10,000 swimming scholarship and a back- to-school shopping voucher from Moby's Records in May Pen.

Commenting on his son's accomplishment, Moreland said he is happy to see that the boy's hard work is paying off.

"My life is a continuous cycle. In the morning after their mother leaves for work, I prepare their breakfast, get them ready for school and walk them to school. Then, later on I return for them and do the necessary preparations for the following day," he shared.

Moreland said he does not mind having the lion's share of taking care of the children, as he chose to be an active father.

"I grew up with my father always taking care of me and now I will always try my best to live up to the kind of father he has been to me," said Moreland.

Although he has to balance his time between training and games, he ensures that he sets aside quality time for the children and with his 'big son' already a lover of the game, he sometimes takes him to practice.

"Although it most times turns out to be a distraction," said Moreland, smiling.

STEP UP

Moreland, who lives in Mount Clair, May Pen is making an appeal to irresponsible men to "step up to the plate and start playing their roles as fathers".

"Me ah tell some man fi take care of them youth. You don't know what can happen. It don't matter if the mother is there or not, make sure you have a positive impact in their lives," he said.

As much as Moreland loves football he is now thinking beyond the game as he said he wants to be able to get things his children need - especially Khymarii who is longing for a computer.

"Right now I need a good job. I need a computer for my little boy, he is fascinated with it and he is really bright. I would like to give him a start, but I need a steady job that I can be better able to help my children," he said.