Clarke inspires student athletes

Calabar High's head coach Michael Clarke maintains a hunger to keep on winning at the annual ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Championships.

Last Saturday's sensational three-point victory at the annual meet was Clarke's 16th of his career, with his first coming at St Jago High and seven with previous champions Jamaica College.

"Well, I love what I do. It provides a huge amount of satisfaction, knowing that I bring joy and happiness to a group of persons who are waiting it for it to happen," Clarke said. He added, "That's my driving force."

Clarke says that he celebrates the memories of each win, and described last weekend's triumph over favourites Kingston College as one of his best to date.

"This one shoulders a little more significance because of the insurmountable challenges that presented themselves sometimes, but it's definitely one of the more special ones.

"Not every day you achieve six-in-a-row in a competition as high-calibre as this one," he told The Gleaner.

Clarke says that getting the favourites' tag from persons in media, analysts, and track and field fans means very little coming into a championships.

GOOD MANAGEMENT

According to him, planning, strategy execution, and good management are very important.

"We have a very good management team; we have a good coaching staff, and quite a good support system from old boys and well-wishers," he outlined.

"It can be quite challenging because we have to bring together people with different personalities, different skill sets, different competencies, and different ambitions, so we have to make sure that all of us operate in the same direction," he stressed.

Clarke admits that he has not done a check to see how many boys will be leaving the champion team this year.

"I know it's a fairly young team, and we have persons who are able to replace persons who are leaving. We will have to strategise around that loophole and create measures to ensure we have a strong team," he concluded.