by Carlena Knight
One secondary school principal believes that in order for the sports school system to improve there needs to be a proper system in place for recruiting elite students.
Dr Collin Greene, principal of the Princess Margaret School (PMS), has over the years been known to recruit elite primary school athletes to attend PMS. His actions have been both scrutinised and commended but, according to the sports enthusiast, this is just one way to improve the sporting structure in schools and the overall school sports system.
Greene has suggested for some time that this programme be adopted not only in the secondary but primary schools as well. He says principals should be given the chance to be able to select a small percentage of students who they want to attend their schools.
“The system could benefit from a formal recruiting process. I was suggesting some time ago to the principal core that what should happen is each principal of each secondary school should … be able to recruit 10 percent of the incoming cohort to their school.
“So, if I get 200 students, I should be able to choose 20 of that, whether that 20 or even 10 is for sports, the performing arts whatever it may be, then there will be a leveled playing field,” Greene explained.
This system he says would then motivate the various schools to improve their programmes to make it attractive to parents and students.
The educator believes that just as how the top 100 students can select which school they want to attend, so too should elite athletes.
“The children should choose where they want to go because it matters which school you go to. Don’t bother with people that say it doesn’t because it does. It’s just the same way we say the top 100 is going where they want to go because of their academic potential, but what about their sporting potential?” Greene asked.
“If you send him/her into this environment you are digging an early grave for the sporting ability and a lot of [children’s sporting talent has] died because they went to the wrong school,” he said.
“I have seen children with much potential who attended some schools and never competed again. So, it does make a difference because some of us have created programmes that are useful for them.
“This will be a motivation for the primary school child to do better because they know a principal from a school that has a successful record in, let’s say track and field, told them they have potential, that drives them on, but they haven’t accepted the proposal,” he added.
Greene was speaking on the Good Morning JoJo Sports Show.