Boys enter high school with big dreams

Crisp uniforms, brand-new bags, and nervous smiles lit up the Calabar High School auditorium last week as first formers gathered for orientation. Among them was 11-year-old Demarcus McFarlane, one of the youngest boys in the cohort, already envisioning himself as the school's next sprint sensation.

"It's just what I can do best," he said with quiet confidence.

"In primary school I ran the 100, 200 and the 4x100 relay. I feel good knowing I am attending a school that's good in track and field just as much as academics, I have learnt that that is important."

Calabar's green-and-black colours are synonymous with Champs glory, and Demarcus hopes to one day wear them proudly. But he is also clear that speed alone won't carry him far. "I expect, just like I grew up seeing other athletes, to maintain a good educational profile all while juggling the sport," he told THE STAR. "That's really my expectation of myself, to keep a good record both academically and in sports."

His mother, Venisha Smith, admitted to a mix of nerves and excitement.

"Yuh see cause him young, him a just 11, so them ago sit him out until about grade eight or nine," she surmised.

"It depends on how him perform, because if him a run good, him will make the team once him ready. Right now, them still have him a train fi build him up."

Demarcus never doubted Calabar would be his school of choice.

"Mi excited and mi proud a him," Smith said. "Him grades them good, him get all proficiency inna him exam. Mi just glad him get him heart's desire."

She recalled how his academic journey accelerated early. "At his primary school, I was expecting them to give him a year over because him leave basic school early, so mi think them woulda repeat him," she said. "But them say no, him will move on to high school. By then him had already done PEP."

That decision propelled him forward, and now he is standing at the start of a new race.

Jitters aside, Demarcus is determined. "I just feel good to be here," he said with a grin. "This is where champions come from. I worked really hard for this and I will ensure I live up to the high standards I set for myself."

Across Kingston, another first-former was stepping onto his dream campus. Twelve-year-old Jahir Briscoe begins classes at Jamaica College (JC) with his own blend of nerves and excitement. "My first day was good, I learnt a lot of things about the school," he said. "It was more than what I expected."

Earning a place at his first-choice school made all the effort worthwhile. "It makes me feel smart looking back at all the work I put in," Jahir said.

His father, Camal Briscoe, beamed with pride. "Words cya express how we feel, especially given the amount of sacrifices made, the late nights, the extra lessons, the regular schoolwork, and all the support behind him. To see that he pulled through is a great feeling," he said.

Although Briscoe had a different preference at first, he ultimately supported his son's choice. "Give and take, I wanted him to go to another school, but that was the school of his first choice, so we just have to let it be. JC is a very good school," he said.

He called the milestone both a celebration and a challenge.

"It's a sense of accomplishment. He did his part, scored very well in PEP, and consistently he has done a great job. But this is not the end, this is the beginning of a new journey. The dynamics are different now, with peer pressure and all that comes with this phase, so of course we have to encourage him to keep focus," he said. "It's a great feeling, a great sense of accomplishment, and undoubtedly we have to give God thanks and continue supporting him, encouraging him to do his endeavour best."

Like Demarcus, sport is central to Jahir's ambition. But while Calabar means track for many, at Jamaica College, Jahir hopes to shine on the football field.

"I can see myself representing JC at the schoolboy football championship. It would mean the world to me," he said.

Football has been his passion since childhood. "I've been playing my whole life," he explained. "I've learnt a lot along the way, picked my favourite team, and watched World Cups and other cups. Football has always been what I love."

Still, he knows the classroom must come first. "My plan to balance both is simple," Jahir said. "I can do tutoring or ask a teacher for guidance, and for sports, just never stop training. I am aware there has to be a balance, and that will definitely take work."

With a love for Mathematics, he is already charting a professional path. "My aspiration right now is to become an architect," he said.