Faith of Sports Champs Organizers prevailed

Faith of Sports Champs Organizers prevailed

Sports Champs celebrates a decade amidst challenges

By Trevesa Ashman, Roxanne Schurton and Michael Schurton
Sports Champs Senior Editors

July 27, 2010, Kingston, Jamaica

Sports Championships 2010 has been a decade in the making. The event which started based on a vision and a promise will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2010, rain or shine.

Sports Championships the unique sporting event for children in homes and teens from school, communities and churches have been making a positive impact on the lives of young aspiring athletes.

While the event which stated in October 2001 may not receive the same level of attention as the Grace/ISSA Boys & Girls Athletic Championships held over two months ago, but the Word Time Ministries’ 10th Annual Sports Championships for Children’s Homes will leave no less an impact on the athletes and officials.

Team Faith Motivated
After months of preparation Sports Champs was now approaching the big day. Athletes were eager to take the track and proved to be champions. Team Faith was motivated and ready to take the title from the defending champions Team Love. The power house Team Hope was hoping beyond hope for another successful return to their winning form. Team Love wanted to retain the title.

So the date for Sports Champs 2010 was set for May 29, 2010. After months of planning champs was now a week away. But a big setback came for Sports Champs 2010. Unfortunately a week before champs a limited state of emergency was declared for Kingston and St. Andrew. Given the serious nature of developing events in Western Kingston, there was strong uncertainly of staging the event. Foremost was the safety of the athletes, officials and fans. This was a primary concern and therefore the organizers took a painful decision to call off Sports Champs. Champs would have to be rescheduled. Based the facts of the situation Sports champs might even have to be postponed. However, by an act of faith a new date was set. Sports Champs would be rescheduled one month later to coincide with the lifting of the state of emergency.

The athletes were by now very disappointed as were some of the organizers. For the athletes they have waited all year. They had trained hard and practiced for months. Now there were looming uncertainties whether the game would go on. For the organizers they have laboured many months, weeks and hours in making the preparations for Sports champs 2010. However, favour was still on the side of the athletes and organizers. Chairman Schurton who travelled to Jamaica from Canada during the week of the unrest was determined to ensure champs 2010 was a reality. After consulting with the sports foundation members he set a new date June 26, 2010 and then headed back to Canada. The athletes were now encouraged by this development and were now depending on his word and promise that sports champs 2010 would be held “come rain or shine”. His display of faith was inspiring. There was no hint of any disappointment. He believed that Champs 2010 was still possible.

Upon his return to Canada Chairman Schurton was back on the drawing board and the preparation worked continued in earnest. His first order of business was to contact several persons and requested special prayers for Jamaica and also for Sports Champs 2010.

Power of Prayer
Persons were invited to pray about sports champs in Jamaica, Canada, United States, United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands. All over, people lead by Chaplain Rev. Ascott McCormack was now praying that sports champs would be held.

Many persons doubted that champs would be a reality given the serious social, economic and political environment. Persons were finding it difficult to believe that it was possible to host an event of this nature at this time. Team Faith athletes did not waver in their faith and quietly continued making their preparation. They believe that given the determination and persistence of the chairman, champs would be good to go. But another set back was again on the horizon. By now there was talked on the streets that the state of emergency which should officially end on June 23, 2010, would be extended another month. To make things worst, Jamaica was now under threat from a tropical storm. Again the question was, would sports champs 2010 be held.

Major Challenges
The worst fears were realized. Street talk and speculations turned to official facts as the state of emergency was extended on June 24, 2010 for another month. There would be additional inconvenience as curfews were implemented in several pockets of the city where the athletes reside. The corporate area also was experiencing heavy showers and tropical storm conditions were predicated for the weekend of sports champs. The Meteorological Office said that unstable weather conditions as a result of a strong tropical wave across the western Caribbean, continued to produce widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms across Jamaica. It also reported that another tropical wave across the central Caribbean is expected to move across the island on Friday, June 25. The forecast was for the widespread showers and thunderstorms which could be heavy at times, to continue to affect all parishes for the weekend.

The vote by the sports champs committee members was inconclusive. The decision was now in a stalemate and rested in the hand of the chairman to make the judgment call. Most members were still uncertain given the state of emergency and the pending tropical storms conditions for the same weekend. The Chairman was not discouraged and with a leap of faith he resolutely decided that champs 2010 would still be on. The first hurdle was cleared when the chairman instructed Desrine Bennett to make contact with the commanding officer for operations at the Police headquarters. The Assistant Commissioner informed her that sports champs could be staged but with a reduced time to facilitate the athletes getting back home safely. This was another sign for the chairman.

The chairman contacted the administrators of St. Andrew High School regarding the event and they suggested that the ministry should err on the side of caution and still request a permit from the police. He personally contacted the Assistant Commissioner who assured him that the champs could be held and the ministry needed no permission. Champs could then go on.

The chairman also consulted with his good friend and sponsor from the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Hotel Manger Nancy McLean O.D.. She was solidly in favour of champs been held despite the inclement weather. Roxanne Schurton, Chief Photographer was also in favour of the games, as was meet director Richard Lawrence, but both deeply concerned about the weather.

Chairman Schurton asked her and others to pray about the weather. It was now the evening of Wednesday June 23, and the chairman was again on his way from Canada.

For the next two days it was work in high gear. From the crack of dawn until late hours into the next day, the organizers worked assiduously to finalized preparation for Champs. The budget had to be reduced. Services were scaled down or cancelled and purchases of items drastically cut. Plans were adjusted and plan b and even plan c would have to be implemented. In some case new plans had to be drafted.

From the side lines and the stands it seems impossible to many. Others quietly waited and watched with serious doubts. But Sports Champs 2010 was about Believe...Reach...Achieve. The organizers pressed on and were determined to go forth and conquer with Champs. They continued making plans to stage the event despite a shortage of funding and the unavailability of many key personnel and volunteers.

On Friday, June 25 the sports champs committee members came for the final briefing and to hear the decision from the chairman. The faithful few attended the meeting despite the treat of rain. The word was, Sports Champs was still on. So they planned, discussed and strategize. The chairman’s strategy was that we all commit everything regarding sports champs to the Lord and fervently pray for God to hear the cries of His people. Then it was time for a powerful prayer session lead by Sharon Anderson. We prayed and touched the throne with our hearts cry. Members were now fortified. By faith we left the grounds of St. Andrew High School. Everything was now in the hands of the Lord. We were all was now praying, believing and hoping for the best come Saturday morning.

The faith of the organizers prevailed. God heard the cries and answered our prayers. Miraculously, on June 26, 2010, the sun shinned brilliantly. Sports Champs 2010, the real deal was on rain or shine. Team Faith came to sports champs in huge numbers, the largest contingency of Faith athletes in a decade. They came with one mission and one mission only to shine again and to win not just the title, by the champions and the quality awards.