Campion reaping success after years of development
Published:Friday | November 1, 2024 | 12:07 AM
In his first-ever season in the ISSA Manning Cup as head coach of Campion College, Newton Sterling says his team’s success this year comes from their development programme which has been in the works for years.
Campion College are on the verge of booking their spot in the quarterfinals as they sit second in their group with three points, behind defending Manning Cup champions Mona High on six.
They are also tied on points with St George’s College (STGC), while St Jago High are at the foot of the table without a point.
Sterling said the team’s success is not a surprise as they had been showing glimpses of their quality over the past three years.
He also explained that the squad is made up of the same core of players who had won the under-16 competition two years ago.
“If persons are paying attention, then they would have seen that most of the boys were a part of the under-16 team that won the competition two years ago,” Sterling said.
“It is all a part of our development programme so we’re praying and hoping there is a lot more to come from Campion. That is the dream for this programme.”
Sterling said another major reason for Campion’s recent rise in stature comes from their partnership with the Kingston Football Academy (KFA).
With several of their players also turning out for the KFA, it allows them to develop their skills outside of the schoolboy football competitions calendar and bring a wealth of experience to Campion’s football programme.
“It helps a lot and I think more schools should invest in partnerships like that because it helps the boys and their growth overall in football and in life itself,” he said.
“After schoolboy football, the academy still runs and they get to go to Europe, go to the United States and playing in tournaments locally and internationally. It is really a great experience for the school and the boys’ development on a whole.”
Sterling insisted, however, that Campion’s rise in football did not come at the expense of the school’s long-standing reputation in academics.
He said the coaching staff, the parents and the school community all played their part in ensuring the players were still able to manage their grades while pursuing their sporting goals.
“That is where the coaches come in. They all try to help these boys and their parents also help out and monitor them and manage their workload. That is life on a whole, having to manage multiple things while trying to do what you love and chasing your dream at the same time.
“I have boys in my teams with nine, 10, even 13 subjects so I know it is not easy, but it comes down to life as a whole. I think the boys are doing an excellent job with that.”
Campion will play their final game of the second round today when they face off against St Jago High at GC Foster College.
They enter the fixture knowing a win against St Jago could secure their passage to the next round granted favourable results in Mona High’s fixture against STGC.