The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

While they won’t be able to continue with sports this year, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association got a chance to present their first set of championship rings to the CI Gibson Lady Rattlers for winning the 2019/2020 senior girls’ basketball title.

In an historic ceremony yesterday at CI Gibson that was limited to just the players, coaches and administrators because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Lady Rattlers collected the rings with their names engraved on them.

GSSSA president Varel Davis, along with her executives, presented rings to team members along with school principal Herbert Oembler as well as head coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson and his assistant Wilton Johnson.

“In the 28 years of existence of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association, this is the first time that we are presenting championship rings,” said Davis, who was joined by secretary Fiona Tucker and assistant treasurer Neketa Sears-Knowles.

“So I’m happy that we have reached this milestone and my plans in the near future is to not just do basketball, but to do the other sporting teams as well.”

Oembler, who presided over the ceremony, thanked the GSSSA for awarding his school and basketball team in the historic presentation.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to do it under these conditions, but the point is you have received your ring, which is the purpose of this ceremony,” he said as he admonished the players to put on and show off their rings as he did with the one he was also presented with.

Under the leadership of Davis and with the assistance from Evon Wisdom, the Sports Division of the Ministry of Education, Johnson said the GSSSA basketball championships were second to none.

Johnson, however, said he was disappointed that high school sports will not be able to resume this year because of the pandemic, which has halted sports around the world since last March. But taking everything into consideration, Johnson said he was just thrilled to have had the opportunity to coach the Lady Rattlers.

“I’m a very hard coach and I demand a lot,” Johnson said. “Women or girls are hard to coach, but for the most part, these girls listened.

“But when there were no cameras around or no one was listening or watching, I would have snatched this one or the next one to get my point across.”

Johnson, who also coached the senior boys’ team, said his girls’ team fought, not in the sense of fighting, but they went out there and they played with heart.

And while they went out there and played with that CI Gibson pride, Johnson said they also took care of their opportunity to learn because over 90 percent them got excellent grades and were student prefects.

Team members, some of whom are now graduates, presented with their rings were Shade McKinney, Amariana Woodall, Adalia Tucker, Ester Pierre, Edricka McClain, Joysline Garson, Kia Brice, Rhatea Rudon, Judea Rahming, Nathalia Lightbourn, Glennia Sands and Marilin Mateus.

On their achievement, Rahming said they worked hard to get to where they are and this is their appreciation for doing so well.

“This ring is so solid, it have my name on it. I feel good,” she stated.

After leaving the championship on thed table, Rahming said the Lady Rattlers’ next team will have to be able to persevere to duplicate what they accomplished.

“Those minutes on thed court are so short, so you have to do what you have to do,” she quipped. “But we also want to encourage them to do their school work because if they don’t, they won’t be able to play on thed team.”

Tucker, speaking on behalf of the team, said ever since she was playing from junior to high school this was the first time she ever received a ring.

“It feels very excellent. I feel like I’m in the Women’s NBA right now,” she stressed. “We put in the hard work. We never stopped fighting. We kept on fighting until we got it.”

Although she won’t be back to defend their title, Tucker encouraged the Lady Rattlers to continue to “work hard because everybody want to beat CI Gibson basketball team. When we come into the gym, they get scared of us.”

Wisdom said he recalled how he was traveling with the team to Grand Bahama to participate in the National Basketball Championships and one of the Lady Rattlers’ literally broke down and cried because it was her first time on a plane.

He said it was occasions like that stood out in his mind about the way this team performed and they withstood all of their obstacles to receive their championship rings at the ceremony.

He apologized that they had to make the decision not to allow high school sports to resume this school year under the pandemic, but he said they are looking forward to next year when they hope that things would return to normal.

Also on hand to assist in the ceremony was Dr Virginia Romer, the president of the New Providence Public High Schools Principal Association.

Kaivone Newbold, a teacher at CI Gibson, got the ceremony started by leading in the signing of the national anthem, the reciting of the pledge and saying a prayer for the proceedings.