Rewarding lacrosse season for coach Morrison
Published:Wednesday | April 15, 2020 | 12:27 AMDaniel Wheeler/Gleaner Writer
JAMAICA COLLEGE’S (JC) lacrosse head coach, Monique Morrison, may have to wait longer for the opportunity to win the Jamaica Lacrosse Association Taino Cup, but she has taken pleasure in the growth experienced personally and by her players during her first season in charge.
The ‘Dark Blues’ advanced to the final after a come-from-behind win against Calabar High in the semi-final on March 11 at Ashenheim Stadium. They were scheduled to play Kingston College for the championship on March 14, but the game was called off in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Morrison, a national player, says that she has evolved in her role since her official appointment to the job last October.
“I’ve grown in my ability to empathise with the boys more. I felt that I have done a lot of learning from them, as much as they have got from me, in understanding people and how they work,” she told The Gleaner. “Going in, I didn’t realise that you needed that much patience to coach a team. I feel like I have the patience of a saint now.”
Initially approached by team manager Ra-Umi Alkebu-Lan, better known as ‘Zeus’, it was a landmark hire for the institution as she is the first women’s coach the school has had in its history as well as the youngest, at 23. Support from co-manager Amilca Thame and the team’s sports psychologist, Dr Scott Hamilton, has fuelled the team’s run to the final, which has garnered praise within the JC community. Additionally, she says she has been saluted by members of the under-19 national team, who had initial reservations when they heard of the her accepting the position.
“When I just told them for the first time last year September that I was going to be coaching JC, they were all very sceptical. And coming from then to now, after the semi-finals and going to final, they were the first set of people who congratulated me and said that they are proud of me,” she said.
But according to her, the most satisfying aspect so far has been the progress of the players, both physically and mentally.
“Watching them grow into better players and knowing that all that is a result of my coaching is always going to be rewarding, because helping people is something that means a lot to me,” she said.
Morrison’s success has had an impact on other women who have an interest in coaching. She says that she has got inquiries on how she got her start and how they can get involved in coaching.