Head coach of Penwood High School, Derol Gardener, said he is hoping that his team’s performances at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships will inspire not only students, but the wider community.
Penwood, a non-traditional high school located in the inner-city community of Olympic Gardens in Kingston 11, has been creating quite a stir after securing its first-ever points at Champs.
This milestone came courtesy of sprinter Shakeya Reid, who finished sixth in the girls’ Class One 100m final and fourth in the Class One 100m hurdles final as Penwood ended the championships with eight points.
Reid was one of three athletes representing the institution at the championships, with others being male athletes.
Gardener said he believes that the achievement can serve as a powerful message to young people in the community. “It is a community that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is from and of course they love sports,” Gardener said. The community of Olympic Gardens runs adjacent to Waterhouse. Gardener highlighted a lot of the kids that attend the Penwood High School are mostly from both communities.
“Waterhouse is a lover of sports in terms of track and field and football. With Penwood High School being the high school in the community, it would be something to open the eyes of the kids to see that it doesn’t matter where you are from, the outcome has no limit. You just have to put yourself forward and do your best at all times,” he said.
Gardener noted that the programme is still in its early stages, having only started preparations late last year October when he took charge of the team. “I started out in October of last year because the track season would normally start in about June or July. We just have three athletes at Champs this year, one female and two males,” he said.
“This is the first time that the school is getting some points at Champs, based on what I have heard and my own research, and so the school community is happy about it.,” Gardener stated. “The principal is in full support and checks on us throughout. He told us to go out there and work on that legacy not just for now, but for the future,” he said.
Gardener is also made an appeal for greater support from the wider community, noting the financial demands of the sport.
“We have our principal, a few teachers, and some students and past students coming out, but we are asking for more support. Track and field takes great expense, and the school has been supporting us one hundred percent. With past students and the communities of Waterhouse and Olympic Gardens, I hope they see this as a way to come on board and give the kids some assistance.”
Gardener also highlighted the discipline and academic focus of his athletes noting that all three of his competitors are sixth form students who will be seeking scholarships this year.
“These kids that we took to Champs have worked very hard, and academically they have done pretty well. I am very proud of them. They are from communities around Waterhouse and Olympic Gardens, and this is something we are happy about. They are all sixth-formers looking for scholarships, and I always tell them that as much as I want them to do well on the track, they must put their books first.”
Looking ahead, Gardener underscored that the programme is focused on long-term growth and stability.
“The aim for this programme is long-term development. We are in stages right now and rebuilding, and I am sure that next year you will see better from the team because we keep something very important within our team, which is prayer. We believe in that, and we always tell them one thing, God is in control.”
