By Neto Baptiste
As the debate over recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination results continues, Baptist Academy student Dajari Barthley and his family have been sharing their story of how the 16-year-old national footballer has managed to successfully twin his love for sports with a solid foundation in education.
The attacking midfielder successfully wrote 11 subjects with more than half being Grade ones while also achieving grade ones in the elusive mathematics and additional maths.
The well-rounded Barthley, who also keeps wicket for Combined Schools, said he is motivated by the high level of rivalry between himf and brothers Dario and Dajun Barthley, who all played football at the national level.
“They grew up playing football, coming up all the way and Dario, he played with the under-15 national team and then onto the national under-20 team. Dajun, he captained the under-15 and he captained the under-20 for a game or two and that’s what really pushed me because in the family, it’s high-level competition amongst each other,” he said.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, a very straight-forward Barthley admitted that school was never really his favourite thing but said his support team gave him the drive he needed to keep going.
“I didn’t really enjoy going to school. I am not going to tell any lies but going to school and playing football, the school made it very easy because they would push me very hard, so I’d have to do well and then the football would come along. I always liked being out having fun, running around and kicking ball,” he said.
Meanwhile, his mother Molvie Joseph Barthley said that at first it was difficult accepting the concept of allowing her son to place so much focus on sports at a time when many others were turning their attention to the examinations, but she has no regrets.
“Listen, I am in a house with all boys and their father and all of them are into sports, so sometimes I am saying that Dajari needs a break and they are saying no, if he plays sports then he will do better in school. I wasn’t always sold on that but I can tell you unreservedly that Dajari has proven me wrong and Dajari has also proven the theory that I’ve always heard bandied around that if you let your child play sports, it helps to develop their mind, and I’ve seen it with Dajari,” she said.
Dajari, son of former West Indies Under 19 cricket Captain and batsman, Zorol Barthley, is preparing to embark on his A Levels journey at the Bede’s Senior School in Eastbourne, England.
