Laurie Foster | JC's road to redemption

"Jamaica College (JC) has been dethroned" are words being spoken in recent days as the Old Hope Road high school was knocked from its lofty perch as five time kingpins of Corporate Area football at their level. To every supporter, including Foster's Fairplay, it could not have been a welcome feeling. Trophies can be won or lost; that, of itself, is not the issue. What now haunts is the feeling that the once mighty JC has been unseated. It hurts. The fact that it came at the behest of St George's College, the long-time rival, provides no salve as no school wishes for this, not even from a friendly opponent.

It is now time for rebuilding. Head coach Andrew Peart, in a post-game interview, claimed that he is the "right man" for what should be an enormous task. The opinion from this corner is that he should be granted full rein to re-organise the troops for another assault on the coveted trophy. Now is not the time for recriminations or casting away the model that saw the team to past glory. To a large extent, the gains of the last five years sprung from the works of former head coach Miguel Coley. He has moved to try his hand on the international club circuit based in Iran. Although he has not ruled it out, there should be no dependence on his return to once again steer the fortunes of the school, which has styled itself as 'one college'. Peart it is, and rightly so. He awaited his turn and ought to be afforded another chance.

The Jamaica College fraternity should now be concerned with putting its house back in order. With this loss, as regrettable as it is, should come a new thinking on the strategies that gave them their success in the five preceding years. Some may have to be amended or tweaked to properly address the deficiencies that brought about the loss to the Light Blues. Identification and analysis should be employed as repeating same should not be an option.

PEART'S ROLE

It is not likely to be an easy task, and there is no reason why it should be. The route to where the team stood had its challenges, and so will the one back to supremacy. Peart should be given all the encouragement possible once it is decided that he should remain in charge. None of the privileges or resources previously afforded him should be withdrawn. If, in adversity, a man is given a repair job, he should be allowed to see it through. Any obstacle placed in his path could have the capacity of derailing the whole train.

Coach Peart himself has a few adjustments to make. It is understandable that he will suffer mood shifts according to the course of the game. Some of what was planned will have the desired outcome. Some will not. This is the nature of sport, especially when the target is young minds, who are more open to miscalculations and improper interpretation that the more mature. Peart should be aware of this and not let his frustrations be open to the public, which includes his team. Part of his duty to his players lies in keeping his apparent disappointing moments away from the team's viewing. His players out their doing the job can be distracted, and this can limit the level of their performance.

Last word to the boys from Hope: All is not lost. You still have your support from those who believe in you and your coach. Time to get it together and show that the St George's loss does not accurately define you. You are a whole lot better than that. Floreat Collegium.

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