Discipline, the recurring decimal for national awardees

BEING DISCIPLINED even when no one is watching is among the keys for success, according to members of the sports fraternity shortly after receiving national honours at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House on Monday.

Among the awardees was Jamaica and West Indies cricketer Rovman Powell, who told The Gleaner the award is particularly meaningful for his family, given the tough times he experienced as a youth from a humble background.

But the former West Indies T20 captain said it is a testimony to his dedication to his craft:

“From a tender age, I always believe that with hard work and discipline you can achieve a lot, and that has been my mantra. That has been something that I would always tell youngsters, not just myself as a young Rovman Powell, but also other youngsters. Hard work and discipline, and also, a key aspect of it is being ambitious. A lot of us here in Jamaica are from small families, so being ambitious will always keep you on the right path and will always strengthen you along the journey, because sometimes it gets tough.”

Former national footballer Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardner, who was part of the historic 1998 Reggae Boyz team that qualified for the FIFA World Cup, echoed the sentiments.

He told The Gleaner the national honour is not his alone. The 42-year-old dedicated his award to his family, his teammates and his fans, and he called for more support to unearth more talent.

“To be honest everybody is pretty unique in their own way. But I have seen a lot of special talent here and they just need continuous work, continuous support. Continue teaching, continue learning the game and enjoying it step by step because it’s very important, especially now at a time when the sport is developing and people are excelling more and more from it, and people are getting opportunities from our region and from our own country. I’ve seen many special talents here that can even go and surpass what we have done, if they are guided in the right way and don’t give up through everything, because there are going to be disappointments, you know. You have to play your part. I always say to people, ‘coaches coach, players play, managers manage’, so everybody has their own part and they should stick to it and remain focused on the job at hand.”

Powell also underscored the importance of staying motivated.

“I think when cricket has given you so much, you know, that in itself is motivation, you know. It’s like you see a little bit of light at the end of a dark tunnel. You will always push to try to reach the light, so it’s for me to always keep working, you know. I am a hard worker and one of the most important things is that I am disciplined. I always believe that discipline is doing the right things unsupervised. I don’t need a coach. I don’t need somebody over my back to tell me that this is what I have to do. Once you give me the instructions, I can carry it out on my own, and I think that is one of my greatest strengths. A lot of persons, a lot of young people coming up need somebody over their backs to keep pushing them to do the right stuff. I think for me that isn’t really an issue.”

And as Jamaica remains two games away from making it to another FIFA showpiece, World Cup alum Gardner also had words for the current Reggae Boyz.

“I just want to encourage them and for them to go out there and give of the best of themselves; that’s all we can ask for from each and every player. We know what is at stake. They are more than capable enough for pushing and getting the job done. I do believe we are going to get the job done, so I think we should just continue encouraging them, continue to support them throughout thick and thin. Some days are not going to be as smooth as some days, but as I just mentioned, as supporters, we support, you know what I mean? There is nothing else we can do. We can’t go out there and play, so just let us support them and support them to the fullest.”

Powell and Gardner received the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) for services in their respective field of sports.

Also receiving awards from the sporting fraternity was Olympian and 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake, who received the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) for contribution to track and field and for philanthropy.

Meanwhile, Jefferson Davis received an Order of Distinction (Officer Class) for contribution to sport for representing Jamaica at the Special Olympic Games for over two decades, and to the land surveying and geographic information service.

Jockey Shane Ellis received the Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service for his contribution to horse racing.