Persevere, pursue excellence, believe, be hungry and have a clear vision.
Those were the five success points former national women’s team footballer Jamila Cross shared with students of Queen’s Royal College (QRC) at the school’s recent Sports and Co-Curricular Awards Ceremony.
In sharing her journey, Cross, who completed her Advanced Level education at QRC from 1997-99, told the members of her alma mater that after making a decision to make football her sport of choice at the late age of 16 during her fifth year at St Joseph’s Convent, St Joseph, she stuck through it despite having to endure a steep learning curve.
“I realised that I had only started learning the fundamentals of my sport at the age of 16. But secretly, I believed that I was an anomaly and that my coaches could never experience coaching anyone like me. I was attentive, committed and focused on improving.
“I would absorb every single thing that they taught me like a sponge, and practice, practice, practice.”
She said in addition to her male club mates, who she trained and practiced with, she also got tremendous support from her male school mates who were members of QRC’s senior football team that happened to be performing at an outstanding level in the Secondary Schools Football League at that time.
“Once I began improving, I got selected for the women’s national team.”
Cross said the depth of the opportunity that would ultimately present itself by becoming proficient in her sport of choice, never occurred to her. But that would change when her coaches at Skeete Hyacinth Football Club (SKHY FC) asked her if she ever considered going to the United States of America.
“In my small world of possibilities at the time it had never occurred to me that I could actually get a scholarship that would cover everything; tuition, room, meals, equipment. Something to the tune of US$20,000. An annual investment, every year for four years.
She said it was something her parents could never have afforded.
Cross, despite not attaining the requisite SAT score following a visit by two coaches from the US in 1999, she did not give up and was eventually awarded a full athletic scholarship to Berry College in Georgia, USA, by a coach who never saw her play until she got to the university.
Stating that while at Berry she learned about another football scholarship programme in Spain, Cross said: “Upon seeking out the criteria for entering the programme I was told that I could apply from my second year. I waited patiently, and with the right timing I asked my coach whether I could spend a semester abroad on a scholarship. He said yes, and the rest as they say, is history.”
She said that while she was able to take her classes, train and work on her fitness in Spain, she could not at the time play as an international player.
“I was hungry. I made myself known to the players, the staff, to anyone who could advance my cause because I was in a city with one of the largest women’s team, Sevilla FC, there could ever be.
“Could I ever image that that would have been possible when I first started to play the game in form five, then to QRC. That all of this would have been possible in two years. Never.”
She told her audience that sport can be used to achieve further educational opportunities in addition to becoming a professional athlete.
“I want to encourage you to understand your purpose. Have a clear vision for your future, your training, academics, athletic pursuits.
Telling the students that they are worthy beyond measure and wishing them tremendous success, Cross encouraged them to make their academic pursuits and training for their respective sports their top priority.
Honour roll (selective)
Basketball: Jameel Castillo (U15); Shorn Solomon (U17); Malique Francis (U20)
Cricket: Sachin Emrit
Cycling: Devante Laurence
Dragon Boat: Nathan Pierre (U16); Ryan St.Louis (U21)
Football: Aydon Caruth (U13); Emile Patrick (U14); Tyreke Haarding (U16); Miguel Cross (U19); Jabari McKell (premiership)
Swimming: Armando Sham Poo
Track & Field: Jordan Noel (U14); Nakiel Denoon (U16); Shakeem McKay (U18); Dominic Cole (U20)
Water Polo: Armando Sham Poo (U14); Zephania Taylor- Saldenha (U16); Kelvin Caesar (Senior)
Sportsman of the Year: Armando Sham Poo
