Alpha focuses on quality

HEAD COACH of Convent of Mercy Academy ‘Alpha’ Kirk King believes in “quality over quantity” for his young team as they compete in this week’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs).

It has been a rollercoaster season so far for the eastern Kingston-based school, with their girls delivering strong performances, particularly in the sprint and hurdles events.

The team finished a commendable fourth at the Corporate Area Athletics Championships, and King – who has been coaching at the institution since 2006 and took over as head coach in 2019 after longtime coach Lorna Vernon moved overseas – is looking forward to strong results over the five-day Championships.

“Despite having a very small squad, the team has produced some outstanding performances at various meets leading up to Champs, and we hope to carry that momentum,” said King.

“Last year, we placed 14th, and we are definitely aiming for a top-10 finish this time,” he added, noting that with better financial support, the team could have achieved even more over the years.

“Despite the limited financial backing we receive, the team has performed well, as we primarily work with the talent from within the school rather than recruiting from outside,” said King.

He highlighted some of the standout athletes this season.

“I’m especially proud of the improvement shown by some of the girls, particularly our captain, Tashay Faulkner in Class One. She has been here since first form and has progressed from running 14 seconds in the 100 metres to 11.9 seconds, and she now clocks 24.2 seconds in the 200m. Then there’s Seana Wilson, who won the Class Three sprint double at the Corporate Area Championships, along with other promising athletes like Philipia James in Class Four and Rajuana Pryce in Class Two,” he said.

King also praised the parents, who he described as the team’s biggest supporters.

“Kudos to the parents – they are our biggest cheerleaders at the meets. The noise you hear in the stands is from them. Since we don’t have a full coaching staff, the parents also step in to assist, and their help has been invaluable,” he added.

Despite finishing behind schools like Wolmer’s, Immaculate, and Excelsior at the Corporate Area Champs, King expects his team to deliver even bigger performances at Champs.

“We have a small but high-quality team. Unlike some of the other top Corporate Area schools, we don’t have the numbers, but we are able to punch above our weight. With Champs being such a prestigious event, we expect to punch even harder,” he concluded, urging fans to continue supporting the team.